FH AWARENESS MONTH 2018 – FH AWARENESS DAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

ANNOUNCING THE IAS-FH FOUNDATION PARTNERSHIP


• FH Foundation
  

• FH Awareness Media Kit by the FH Foundation
  

• FH Foundation - Consensus Statement on Genetic Testing for FH - 2018

  The FH Foundation announced that an important consensus statement on diagnosing familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a common life-threatening genetic condition, was published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Authored by an international panel of 30 cardiovascular, lipid, genetics and advocacy experts and led by the FH Foundation, the statement recommends that genetic testing be offered to diagnose both individuals with FH and their relatives. FH genetic mutations lead to heart disease and stroke risk during the prime of life. Genetic testing of at-risk individuals holds the promise of accelerating the identification of over 30 million people worldwide born with FH, 90 percent of whom are currently undiagnosed, to ensure early treatment. Read more here.

• IberoAmerican FH Network
  

• IAS Consensus Statement “Defining severe familial hypercholesterolaemia and the implications for clinical management: a consensus statement from the International Atherosclerosis Society Severe Familial Hypercholesterolemia Panel” - 2016

  The IAS Severe FH Panel, made of 25 internationally renowned experts and chaired by Dr. Raul Santos, worked with the objective of characterizing the severe FH phenotype and made recommendations on how to stratify CVD risk and to whom to prescribe the novel lipid lowering treatments. These recommendations will contribute to improved daily clinical practice and better management of FH patients.

  To download the full text, which is open access, please link to and register at http://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(16)30041-9/fulltext (Published online May 27, 2016). For more information about The Lancet, please visit The Lancet Homepage at www.thelancet.com.

  
  
   

• New Data on Familial Hypercholesterolemia in Brazil - 2017
  

• ScreenPro - Screening Project for Familial Hypercholesterolemia in Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe

  The ScreenPro FH Project started in 2014/2015. Based on the Czech MedPed experience the project was established for screening, diagnosis and treatment of FH patients in the region of Central, Eastern and Southern Europe.

  • We started with 8 countries, now we are 20.
  • We started with 70 centers, now we are 181 (other 40 in development).
  • We started with 7500 patients in the local databases, now, they are 23 191.
  • We started cooperation with patient´s organization in 8 countries (2017).
  • We focus on education, screening and care of FH patients. Nowadays we are on the way from description of the situation to improvement in the treatment.

  You can view it here and here
  
   

• News from the Iraqi Lipid Clinics Network

  The success story deriving from the educational activities of the IAS and OSLA in the MENA Region continues. Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Mutaz Al-Sabah and his Iraqi colleagues at the moment 8 Lipid clinics have been established throughout the country:

  1. Al-Diwaniya city
     Al-Diwaniya teaching hospital
      
     
     
     
  2. Al-Sulaimaniya city
     Shorsh military teaching hospital
      
     
  3. Al-Samawa city
     Al-Samawa teaching hospital
      
     
     
     
  4. Salahaldeen city
     Balad teaching hospital
      
     
  5. Al-Ramadi city
     Al-Ramadi teaching hospital
      
     
     
     
  6. Al-Fallujah city
     Al-Fallujah teaching hospital
      
     
     
     
  7. Erbil city
     Rizgary teaching hospital
      
     
     
     
  8. Kirkuk city
     Kirkuk lipid clinic
     
     

  New educational initiative “FH ambassador mission”
  
  Dr. Mutaz Alkhnifsawi, president of the Iraqi Lipid Clinics Network, participated recently in a workshop held in Cairo, Egypt. The participants were a group of Egyptian university students, newly graduated males and females, as well as some Iraqis living in Egypt.
  The workshop focused on Familial hypercholesterolemia/FH (prevalence, risk, how to diagnose, how to treat, the importance of early detection and cascade screening) is part of the IAS-OSLA campaign, established in Iraq several months ago to raise public awareness about Familial hypercholestrolemia, The presentations by dr Mutaz used a simplified language to better transfer the messages and included short videos and also photos of FH signs. A stimulating and interactive discussion followed the presentations.
  
  We would love to hear from our member societies about other such exciting and important successes in the field throughout the world and look forward to hearing from you.

• The SAFEHEART Registry

  Risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) are variable among patients with Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH). SAFEHEART is a multicentre, nationwide, long-term prospective contemporary cohort study of a molecularly defined FH population with or without previous ASCVD. A robust risk prediction equation (SAFEHEART-RE) has been developed using this unique cohort that shows that the risk of incident ASCVD may be estimated in FH patients using clinical and laboratory parameters including age, gender, history of ASCVD, blood pressure, body mass index, smoking, and plasma LDL-C and lipoprotein (a) levels. The Harrell's C index for this model was 0.85.
  This information will allow more accurate ASCVD risk prediction in FH and will potentially increase the efficiency of care and use of newer lipid lowering therapies. The SAFEHEART-RE is an accurate tool to implement these predictors in daily clinical practice.

  You can view it here

• E-Learning cor2ed

  Improving management through genetic testing for Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH)

  This e-learning has been developed for healthcare professionals with an interest in FH and genetic testing by a panel of world renowned experts in this area, Pr. Carrie and Pr. Bruckert from France, and Dr. Ballantyne and Dr. Eng in the USA and is approved by the International Atherosclerosis Society (IAS).
  On completion of this e-learning you will have a better understanding of:

  • Key aspects of genetic testing in Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH)
  • How and why to use genetic testing
  • How to interpret results
  • How to use cascade screening to identify related individuals at risk

  You can view the e-learning at https://checkpoint.cor2ed.com/

• Severe FH Course “Identifying and Treating Severe Familial Hypercholesterolemia” (Dubai, UAE, October 14-15, 2017)

  The International Atherosclerosis Society (IAS), the Oman Society of Lipid and Atherosclerosis (OSLA), the Gulf Heart Association (GHA), and the Emirates Cardiac Society (ECS), are happy to make available to our readers some important documents related to the Course on Identifying and Treating Severe Familial Hypercholesterolemia which was held in Dubai, UAE on October 14-15, 2017. The Course was co-chaired by Profs. Raul Santos (President-Elect of IAS), Khalid Al-Rasadi (President, OSLA) and Wael Almahmeed (Board Member of GHA).

  • Scientific Program & Abstracts
  • Slide Library posted at www.athero.org/SevereFHCourse20171014 and at gulfheart.org/past-congresses.php

We are pleased to announce that after the presentation of the outstanding bids for the ISA2024 Symposium from the Russian National Atherosclerosis Society (RNAS), Emirates Cardiac Society (ECS), Lipid Association of India (LAI), and Oman Society of Lipids & Atherosclerosis (OSLA) the IAS Executive Board during its meeting held in Toronto on June 9 has selected the winner of the ISA2024: the Oman Society of Lipids and Atherosclerosis (OSLA).

The International Atherosclerosis Society (IAS) and Oman Society of Lipid & Atherosclerosis (OSLA) are organizing the Fifth IAS-OSLA Course "Lipid Metabolism and Cardiovascular Risk" to be held in Muscat, Oman, on February 8-12, 2019.
As in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, the aim of this Course is to increase the knowledge and experience of early- to mid-career, English-speaking practicing clinicians interested in the management of lipid disorders and will be restricted to 30 clinicians from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region who manage patients with lipid disorders.

Who can apply: Clinicians (including adult or pediatric cardiologists, endocrinologists, general practitioners, lipidologists, clinical biochemists) below the age of 40 years who are currently working at a hospital/university/other health institute in the MENA region.

More information will follow.