Cardiovascular Evaluation of Patients With High Cholesterol and Normal Volunteers

June 13, 2026 updated by: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Cardiovascular Evaluation of Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia is a rare inherited disease of metabolism. It occurs in less than 1 in 1 million people within the United States. Patients with the disease are typically children and young adults who develop heart disease early in life. Children less than age 5 years with this disease have suffered heart attacks and death.

The normal process that removes cholesterol particles from the blood stream does not work in patients with this disease. It causes cholesterol to build-up in the arteries and leads to hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).

The goal of this study is to detect and measure atherosclerosis in these patients before it becomes permanent and potentially life threatening. Patients with this disease can participate in this study. Researchers plan to evaluate patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia using new and standard methods for detecting atherosclerosis.

Researchers plan to use information gathered during this study to develop new, promising treatments such as liver transplantation and gene therapy.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

Familial hypercholesterolemia is an autosomal co-dominant disorder resulting in abnormal LDL receptor function, profoundly elevated concentrations of low density lipoproteins, accelerated atherosclerosis and death by early adulthood. This disease is heterogeneous in both the degree of LDL receptor dysfunction as well as the age of death. Liver transplantation has been demonstrated to virtually normalize plasma lipoprotein concentrations in homozygous FH and the recent cloning of a functional LDL receptor gene holds promise in the definitive treatment of this condition. We propose performing longitudinal sequential cardiologic studies utilizing noninvasive techniques in homozygous patients with well-characterized LDL receptor defects. Sequential cardiovascular study of these patients will not only characterize the progression of atherosclerosis heart disease in this disease, it may also permit the identification of individuals with would be likely to benefit from liver transplantation and/or genetic engineering.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

73

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
        • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

2 years to 70 years (Child, Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Familial hypercholesterolemia

Description

  • INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Fasting cholesterol greater than 500 mg/dl, low density lipoprotein cholesterol greater than 400 mg/dl, and triglycerides less than mg/dl.

Family history of hypercholesterolemia and/or cardiovascular disease before the age of 60 years.

Tendinous and tuberous xanthomas.

Arcus corneae before the age of 30.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: Cohort
  • Time Perspectives: Prospective

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
1
Longitudinal sequential cardiologic studies utilizing noninvasive techniques in homozygous patients with well-characterized LDL receptor defects

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
We propose performing longitudinal sequential cardiologic studies utilizing noninvasive techniques in homozygous patients with well-characterized LDL receptor defects.
Time Frame: one year
Descriptive data
one year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Current work has focused on identifying new noninvasive measurements of CAD and quantitating atherosclerosis burden.
Time Frame: one year
Current work has focused on identifying new noninvasive measurements of CAD and quantitating atherosclerosis burden.
one year

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Robert D Shamburek, M.D., National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 7, 1992

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 3, 1999

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 3, 1999

First Posted (Estimated)

November 4, 1999

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 16, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 13, 2026

Last Verified

August 19, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 850105
  • 85-H-0105

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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