24 September 2026 – World FH Awareness Day
WORLD FAMILIAL HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA (FH) AWARENESS DAY
Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) FH is a disease where individuals have high blood cholesterol levels due to genetics. These changes in the DNA affect the way cholesterol is cleared from the blood which can cause extremely high level of cholesterols.
What will happen if you are not treated? Untreated FH can lead to the buildup of cholesterols in the walls of the arteries, resulting in clogged blood vessels. These conditions eventually increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke. Therefore, early diagnosis is very important to prevent these serious outcomes, by giving faster access to advanced cholesterol-lowering therapies and personalised care.
FH is more common than you think! In Malaysia, one out of every 100 individuals are living with FH, which translates to an estimated 320,000 people living with FH. In fact, FH is so high-risk that it frequently remains underdiagnosed until serious cardiovascular complications occur.
FH Awareness Day, 24th September
This year, FH Awareness Day goes beyond raising awareness, where it advocates for empowering the awareness and knowledge of an individual to:
• Know your cholesterol level #KnowYourNumbers
• Understand the role of family history in FH #KnowYourRisks
• Have informed conversations with healthcare professionals about the screening and treatment #SeekEarlyDetection
SDG 3 | SDG 4 | SDG 8 | SDG 16 – Health/Wellbeing, Education, Quality of life.