FH Awareness Day (est. 2012) is a campaign initiated by the FH Foundation to raise awareness of FH in the general public. This annual event is held on the September 24th, during National Cholesterol Education Month. Previous FH Awareness Day campaigns consisted of community outreach through local Patient Advocate events and media kit distribution to FH Foundation Affiliates. Social media campaigns, such as “Tweet-a-thons” with FH experts and FH patients are used to broaden the reach to an international audience.

We will raise awareness of familial hypercholesterolemia worldwide on September 24th during our 4th annual #KnowFH Tweet-a-Thon.

The panelists are:
Dr. Seth J. Baum, Dr. Pablo Corral, Dr. James Underberg, and Katherine Wilemon

Join us on the day! (4PM PST, 7PM EST)

Why It’s Important

Early diagnosis > Early Treatment > Saves Lives
Millions of people around the world do not know that they and their families are at severe risk for early heart disease, heart attacks, and even death. Each person diagnosed with FH can reduce their risk for heart disease by 80% with early appropriate treatment and therapy.

Let’s raise awareness to find and inform the 90% undiagnosed and prevent early heart disease:

• FH is inherited high cholesterol. It is not caused by the food you eat. This also means that, in many cases, it is treated differently (usually more aggressively than lifestyle-induced high cholesterol)
• Between 620,000 to 1.3 million people in the U.S. have FH. At least 90% of them have not been diagnosed
• If left untreated, FH leads to atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and even death
• Again, FH is inherited: if you have it, each of your first-degree relatives (parents, siblings, children) has a 50% chance of having it
• 20% of heart attacks in people under 45 are caused by FH
• In many cases, people with FH get misdiagnosed and do not receive the care they need. If you suspect you have FH, please consult your healthcare provider or find a lipid specialist