ealthy man is close to200 mg of cholesterol per 100 cc of blood plasma (Familial, 1999). Thus, anextremely high level of cholesterol is often times one of the first indicators that aperson may suffer from Familial Hypercholesterolemia. One of the most obvious effects of Familial Hypercholesterolemia is thedevelopment of tendon xanthoman. Xanthomas are extremely painful lesions thatare caused by large cholesterol deposits is many parts of the body. The mostcommon place for these to occur are in the tendons of the hands as well as theeyelids (Metabolic, 1999).However, the greatest risk that people with this disease face is thedevelopment of cardiac complications that often times results in an early death(Varret, 1999). As large amounts of cholesterol begin to build up in the bloodstream, it begins to form deposits inside the blood vessels. This condition isknown as Arteriosclerosis, which effects the vessels of the body that carry oxygenrich blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The deposits, which are alsoknown as plaque, are formed by the interaction of free radicals and LDL within theblood vessels (Familial, 1999). The most common type of arteriosclerosis isatherosclerosis, an acquired heart disease with many severe complications. Atherosclerosis is a type of hardening and thickening of the medium and largesized arteries, which results in a loss of elasticity (Metabolism, 1999). As largeamounts of cholesterol-carrying lipoproteins are deposited on the lining of thearteries, the vessel channels begin to narrow and ultimately interferes with theflow of blood. In addition to these fatty deposits, calcification may occur as wellas the development of scar tissue. This results in extremely high blood pressure orhypertension for patients suffering from Familial Hypercholesterolemia. As thesechannels become even more narrow, blood clots begin to form over the roughwalls of the artery, causing a condition known as thrombosis...
