search
February 5

Heart disorder high among Maine Franco-Americans

The Associated Press

LEWISTON — A genetic disorder that causes extremely high cholesterol levels at a young age strikes at 10 times the national rate in Maine's Lewiston-Auburn area.

The Sun Journal of Lewiston says Sunday that familial hypercholesterolemia, or FH, is found most often in people of Native American or French Canadian descent. Experts say about 1 in every 300 to 500 people has the disorder.

Cardiologist Dervilla McCann, who's been studying FH for two decades, believes the Lewiston-Auburn area, with its large French Canadian population, has about 10 times the national rate.

Normally, the body naturally clears cholesterol from the blood. Significant buildup in blood vessels can take decades. First heart attacks generally occur in people in their 60s.

But that cholesterol-clearing system doesn't work in people with FH and in some cases heart disease begins in childhood.

Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form

Send Question/Comment to the Publisher




Further Discussion

Here at PressHerald.com we value our readers and are committed to growing our community by encouraging you to add to the discussion. To ensure conscientious dialogue we have implemented a strict no-bullying policy. To participate, you must follow our Terms of Use.

Questions about the article? Add them below and we’ll try to answer them or do a follow-up post as soon as we can. Technical problems? Email them to us with an exact description of the problem. Make sure to include:
  • Type of computer or mobile device your are using
  • Exact operating system and browser you are viewing the site on (TIP: You can easily determine your operating system here.)


Most...