Cardiology expert outlines four genetic patterns of high cholesterol

Cardiology consultant and professor Dr. Khaled Al-Nemer has identified four genetic patterns for inheriting high cholesterol.

Al-Nemer, writing on the X platform, explained that these patterns include a genetic type known as an "autosomal dominant mutation." If one parent carries this mutation, each child has a 50% statistical chance of inheriting it. This means it may appear in one or two children, or not at all, and this rule does not apply to all genetic patterns.

He added that the condition can skip generations due to varying gene expression, so a child may develop high cholesterol even if neither parent has it. In the case of polygenic familial types, high cholesterol may not appear until later in life, such as after age 40. He also noted that the inheritance of high LDL cholesterol differs from that of elevated Lp(a)—a blood fat similar to LDL cholesterol. The presence of one does not necessarily mean the other will occur, though both can be present in the same person.

Al-Nemer emphasized the importance of not waiting for symptoms to appear and not relying solely on the absence of a family diagnosis to rule out hereditary risk.

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