Familial Hypercholesterolemia Treatment Guide

Maintain A Healthy Weight

Being overweight or obese further increases the already elevated risk of heart disease for patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, which is why maintaining a healthy weight is important as treatment. Currently, many doctors use body mass index (BMI) as a tool to determine a healthy weight range for individual patients. This measurement is a ratio of height to weight. A BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered optimal. Readings of between twenty-five and 29.9 are considered overweight, and readings of thirty or more are classified as obese. To maintain a healthy weight, patients are encouraged to exercise regularly and pay attention to their nutrition. Minimizing fast food, fried foods, and red meat can help, and patients should also try to include more fruits and vegetables in their meals. Some patients have found adopting a primarily plant-based diet is beneficial for weight control. For patients who have serious struggles with weight, medication or surgical intervention may be appropriate.

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