Early detection and diagnosis of heart & circulatory diseases

High cholesterol

High cholesterol is a significant risk factor for coronary heart disease and can be caused by a number of factors. Chronically high LDL cholesterol can be caused by a genetic defect, resulting in a condition known as Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH). Early detection of FH and treatment with lipid lowering drugs can reduce the risk of heart and circulatory disease and lead to a near normal life expectancy.

FH affects 264,000 people in the UK, approximately 1 in 250 of the population. Studies have shown that the risk of developing coronary heart disease is up to 13 times higher in people with untreated FH. Currently only 7% of people in the UK with FH have been diagnosed. We are working with health systems to improve access to testing for FH, including funding programmes to understand the barrier to implementing cascade testing for relatives at scale across the UK.

Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) elevates stroke risk to five times that of the general population. Early diagnosis and suitable treatment of AF can substantially reduce the risk of stroke. We are working to help systems identify the estimated 300,000 people who are living with AF but are unaware of the risk.