A person is said to be suffering from pre-mature heart disease when he is diagnosed with the condition before the age of 55 years in men 65 years in women. The prevalence of dyslipidemia in these patients is usually found to be as high as in the range of 75-85%. Dyslipidemia is high levels of cholesterol and/or triglycerides in the blood.
About 54% of all patients with premature heart disease and 70% of those with a lipid abnormality have a familial disorder. Hence, it is recommended that the first-degree relatives of patients who have had a heart attack, especially if premature, should be screened for lipid abnormalities. First-degree relatives of a person include brothers, sisters, father, mother or children; second-degree relatives are aunts, uncles, grandparents, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews and third-degree relatives refer to first cousins or siblings of grandparents.…
