Randox Biosciences and Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH)
Randox Biosciences and Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH)
Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic disorder where the child is born with extremely high cholesterol levels. FH can trace back through several generations. Cholesterol is vital for the normal function of the human body therefore, it is important to ensure the cholesterol levels don’t get too high because it can result in early onset cardiovascular disease. 1
The FH Foundation states an interesting fact that 1 in 250 people worldwide have FH and over 90% of these people have not been properly diagnosed 2. Majority of these people won’t know they have FH disease until they have a heart attack!
However, there are no clear symptoms if someone has FH until it is too late and the damage has been done. The warning signs include the following:1
- Swollen tendons/fatty lumps on the knuckles of your hands, at the back of your ankles and knees
- Cholesterol deposits around the eye-lids (looks like pale and yellowish patches)
- Gray-white cholesterol deposits around the corneas
A study in 2008 by the British Heart Foundation found that people with FH who are diagnosed and treated before they develop heart disease live as long people who don’t have FH 4. This theory emphasis the importance of getting early diagnosis to prevent long-term problems. Treatment to prevent cardiovascular disease involves taking medication prescribed by the doctor and making lifestyle changes including; modifying diet, increasing exercise, quit smoking, decrease drinking alcohol and ensure the patient gets regular sleep.
Randox offers the Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) Arrays I & II to help encourage early diagnosis with rapid turnaround time allowing results to be reported within days compared to NHS waiting lists which can be substantially longer. The two arrays are rapid, simple and accurate which enables the simultaneous detection of 40 FH-causing mutations (20 mutations per array) within the LDLR, ApoB and PCSK9 genes. The mutational status can be determined rapidly from a single test, with a reduced need for confirmatory testing with NGS. The genetic analysis for FH mutations allows for more accurate diagnosis compared to lipid profiling.
Randox can help using the award-winning Biochip Analyser to achieve early and appropriate treatment for those with FH resulting those to adopt a healthier lifestyle and taking cholesterol-lowering medication, risk of heart disease to live a longer and healthy life!
Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) Arrays I & II:
- LDLR – 38 mutations
- APOB – 1 mutation
- PCSK9 – 1 mutation
To find out more about the products that we offer email us info@randoxbiosciences.com
Reference:
https://www.healthline.com/health/familial-hypercholesterolemia#symptoms
Drug and Alcohol Testing in the Medico-legal Market
Medico-legal testing for drugs and alcohol may be required by various professional bodies involved in child custody cases, care proceedings or child protection cases. In cases regarding divorce and children, a dispute may arise during the process of discussions involving the custody of children. In these cases drug and alcohol testing may be sought if there has been a substance abuse claim against a parent fighting for custody or visitation. In cases relating to child protection, social services may seek drug and alcohol testing if child welfare claims have been made regarding suspected substance misuse.
Normally in medico-legal cases a hair sample would be tested as it provides the longest detection window.
Why is Drug and Alcohol Testing in Medico-legal Cases Important?
Drug and alcohol testing is important to ensure child protection from the detrimental effects of parental substance misuse and to ensure they have a quality of life they deserve. In addition it is also important to enable parents the opportunity to get the help and support they need and begin rehabilitation treatment.
Doing the right thing by the child is the main priority, and where possible parent and child relationships are sought to be maintained. Drug and alcohol testing assists in these efforts and in such cases abstinence monitoring testing may be required to assess a parent’s recovery e.g. if a visitation case is being reassessed.
Our Expertise
At Randox Testing Services we provide drug and alcohol testing to all professionals within the family law and medico-legal sector. Our hair drug testing service utilises accredited testing methods and is made more cost-effective through utilising patented testing methods developed by Randox.
We understand the impact a positive result can have on a parent, child, and extended family and ensure results of the highest precision and accuracy. With over 35 years’ experience in the diagnostic industry we have gained reputation as a trusted provider.
Our drug and alcohol testing solutions are flexible and can be tailored to our customer needs with a choice of testing methods. We offer a comprehensive drugs of abuse test menu and our service also includes expert witness reporting where applicable.
Contact Us
To speak to one of our experts about hair drug testing contact enquiries@randoxtesting.com or call +44 (0) 161 741 2760. We work with companies within the medico-legal sector along with a wide range of workplaces and also private individuals.
For further information on RTS, or to arrange interviews, please contact the Randox PR team via email: randoxpr@randox.com or phone 028 9442 2413
