Title:The Gulf Familial Hypercholesterolemia Registry (Gulf FH): Design, Rationale and Preliminary Results
VOLUME: 18 ISSUE: 1
Author(s):Khalid Al-Rasadi *, Khalid F. Alhabib , Faisal Al-Allaf, Khalid Al-Waili, Ibrahim Al-Zakwani , Ahmad AlSarraf , Wael Almahmeed , Nasreen AlSayed , Mohammad Alghamdi , Mohammed A. Batais, Turky H. Almigbal , Fahad Alnouri, Abdulhalim Kinsara, Ashraf Hammouda , Zuhier Awan , Heba Kary , Omer A. Elamin, Fahad Zadjali , Mohammed Al-Jarallah , Abdullah Shehab , Hani Sabbour , Haitham Amin and Hani Altaradi
Affiliation:Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Department of Cardiac Sciences, King Fahad Cardiac Center, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makka, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Department of Pharmacology & Clinical Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ministry of Health, Kuwait City, Safat, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, Gulf Diabetes Specialist Center, Manama, National Guard Hospital, Riyadh, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Cardiovascular Prevention Unit, Prince Sultan Cardiac Centre, Riyadh, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, College of Medicine, King Abdul Aziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saud Al Babtain Cardiac Center, Dammam, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Jeddah, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Jeddah, Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Department of Medicine, Sabah Al-Ahmed Cardiac Center, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE; University, Al Ain, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain Defense Force Hospital, Riffa, Department of Cardiac Sciences, King Fahad Cardiac Center, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh
Keywords:Familial hypercholesterolemia, Middle East, registry, cardiovascular diseases, consanguinity, CHD.
Abstract:
Aim: To determine the prevalence, genetic characteristics, current management and outcomes
of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) in the Gulf region.
Methods: Adult (18-70 years) FH patients were recruited from 9 hospitals and centres across 5 Arabian
Gulf countries. The study was divided into 4 phases and included patients from 3 different categories. In
phase 1, suspected FH patients (category 1) were collected according to the lipid profile and clinical
data obtained through hospital record systems. In phase 2, patients from category 2 (patients with a
previous clinical diagnosis of FH) and category 1 were stratified into definitive, probable and possible
FH according to the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network criteria. In phase 3, 500 patients with definitive and
probable FH from categories 1 and 2 will undergo genetic testing for 4 common FH genes. In phase 4,
these 500 patients with another 100 patients from category 3 (patients with previous genetic diagnosis of
FH) will be followed for 1 year to evaluate clinical management and cardiovascular outcomes. The Gulf
FH cohort was screened from a total of 34,366 patients attending out-patient clinics.
Results: The final Gulf FH cohort consisted of 3,317 patients (mean age: 47±12 years, 54% females).
The number of patients with definitive FH is 203. In this initial phase of the study, the prevalence of
(probable and definite) FH is 1/232.
Conclusion: The prevalence of FH in the adult population of the Arabian Gulf region is high. The Gulf
FH registry, a first-of-a-kind multi-national study in the Middle East region, will help in improving
underdiagnosis and undertreatment of FH in the region.