Dan's Battle for An Accurate Diagnosis and Treatment for Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Dan is only 32 years old, but has already almost lost his life . He never dreamed he was on the verge of a heart attack, but knew something was wrong given persistent chest pain and a cholesterol reading of 420 mg/dl Dan struggled to get an accurate diagnosis for his condition, familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), from initially just being sent home and given antacids to fighting for a stress test that revealed he needed heart bypass surgery. He was finally diagnosed with FH. Like many others with FH, he was prescribed a maximum statin treatment to manage his FH, but was still unable to reduce his LDL cholesterol to safe levels. Although PCSK9 inhibitors have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart attacks, Dan’s insurance did not understand the severity of his FH diagnosis and refused to approve medication critical to saving his life. #FHCantWait for diagnosis. It can’t wait to be treated.