New London woman advocates for education, research
By Robert Cloud
Tuesday, Sept. 24, was a special day for Deb Silvers of New London.
Gov. Tony Evers declared that day Familial Hypercholesterolemia Awareness Day.
Silvers was diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolemia in 2012.
She has since become an advocate with the FH Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to research, advocacy and education.
“As an advocate of the FH Foundation part of my role is to provide educational outreach in order to raise awareness of FH among health professionals and the general public,” Silvers said.
Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is the most common genetic condition leading to early heart disease.
It causes high levels of LDL cholesterol.
According to the governor’s proclamation, “It is estimated that 23,256 indiviiduals in Wisconsin and approximately one in 250 people worldwide have familial hypercholesterolemia, but less than 10% of those people have been properly diagnosed.”
The proclamation notes FH is responsible for 5% of heart attacks in people under age 60 and up to 20% of heart attacks in people under 45.
When asked about the symptoms that led to her diagnosis, Silvers said, “Heart event prior to age 50, very high cholesterol and family history of heart attacks/events prior to age 50.”
Parents, siblings and children of a person diagnosed with FH have a 50% chance of having the disease and should be screened.
A detailed family history, blood cholesterol and genetic testing are recommended for people who have symptoms or relatives with FH.
Cholesterol screening is recommended for children between the ages of 2 and 8 with a family history of high cholesterol or early-onset heart disease, as well as for all children between ages 9 and 11, all young adults 17-21 and all adults every five years.
Symptoms include chest pain with activity; fatty deposits in tendons and on elbows, buttocks and knees; cholesterol deposits around eyelids; and gray-white cholesterol deposits around the corneas.
Silvers, who has been an advocate for the FH Foundation since she was diagnosed with the disease, encourages people to donate to the group.
Checks, payable to the FH Foundation, may be mailed to Philanthropy Department, FH Foundation, 959 E. Walnut St., Suite 220, Pasadena, CA 91106.