Relationship between measurements of non-HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol in Familial Hypercholesterolaemia

Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is a monogenic disorder of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) metabolism which can be specifically diagnosed by genetic testing. However LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) estimation has the drawback that it requires a fasting sample, because the Friedewald formula uses a factor relating to fasting triglyceride. Also other cholesterol containing lipoproteins are atherogenic and should be considered as part of cardiovascular risk assessment. Recent guidelines from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommend non-HDL cholesterol (non HDL-C) for assessment of cardiovascular risk.