Will High Cholesterol Affect Pregnancy? (NAPSA)—Cholesterollevels natu- rally rise during pregnancy andare not usually monitoredortreated atthat time. However, if you are the oneoutofevery 200 adults who hasan inherited form of high cholesterol, you may require spe- cial monitoring if you become pregnant. Familial hypercholesterolemia, or FH,is an inherited defect in how the body recycles LDL (bad) cholesterol. ‘Therefore, in untreated adults, LDL levels in the blood remain very high— above 190 milligrams perdeciliter (mg/ dL) of blood—making someone 20 times more likely to have heartdisease. Awareness is critical, as coronary heart disease appearsupto 30 years ear- lier in women with FH than in women withoutit. Thirty percent of untreated womenwill have a heart attack before they turn 60. To address this important health Women with familial hypercholesterolemia mayneed extra care while pregnant. cholesterol guidelines from the AHA.If you becomepregnant while ona statin, stop takingit as soon as the pregnancy is discovered. You may resumestatin medication after pregnancy. Youshould M.D., an OB/GYNand board member also avoidstatins while breast-feeding. Let your doctor knowif you were on. a statin at the time of conception. All statins are currently not recommended in pregnant women dueto potential cholesterol and pregnancy. after pregnancy? Checking your lipid levels and knowing your family’ history of cardiovasculardiseases can help your doc- cholesterol-lowering medication during requirements. cholesterol? question for women, Maria Sophocles, of the FH Foundation, offers ideas on what women should know about high HowdoI knowif I have FH? tor determine yourrisk and screening Should I avoid pregnancy? “Women with FH can and should have the family they want” said Sophocles. If you have FH,she suggests your pregnancyshould be co-managed by an OB anda cardiologist. American Heart Association (AHA) guidelinessay those with FH should consider consulting with a doctor whohasexpertise in cholesterol management before becoming pregnant. Can I take cholesterol-lowering medications during pregnancy? Women who have FH should stop takingstatins one to two months before trying to conceive, accordingto the 2018 effects on the developingbaby. Whatare my options during and If your doctors want you to be on pregnancyor breast-feeding, there are optionsthey can discuss with you. Will my children have high FHis an inherited condition, so if you and/or yourpartner haveit, your children could be at higher risk of inheriting the condition.It’s reasonable to test children for FH asearly as age 2 years. Currentguidelinessayit’s reasonable to begin treatment around age 10 if lifestyle therapy is unsuccessfulafter three to six months. “The good news is FH is treatable and youcanlive a long,healthylife if you catch it early and maintain proper treatment? Sophocles said. Learn more about FH from the American Heart Association at www. heart.org/FH.
