Two Patients with Familial Hypercholesterolemia Who Were Successfully Weaned from Low-density Lipoprotein Apheresis after Treatment with Evolocumab

Akihito Tanaka; Daijo Inaguma; Yu Watanabe; Eri Ito; Naoki Kamegai; Hiroya Shimogushi; Hibiki Shinjo; Kiyomi Koike; Yasuhiro Otsuka; Asami Takeda

doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.56.7958

CASE REPORTS

Two Patients with Familial Hypercholesterolemia Who Were Successfully Weaned from Low-density Lipoprotein Apheresis after Treatment with Evolocumab

Akihito Tanaka, Daijo Inaguma, Yu Watanabe, Eri Ito, Naoki Kamegai, Hiroya Shimogushi, Hibiki Shinjo, Kiyomi Koike, Yasuhiro Otsuka, Asami Takeda

Author information

Akihito Tanaka
Kidney Disease Center, Japanese Red Cross Nagoya Daini Hospital, Japan
Daijo Inaguma
Kidney Disease Center, Japanese Red Cross Nagoya Daini Hospital, Japan
Yu Watanabe
Kidney Disease Center, Japanese Red Cross Nagoya Daini Hospital, Japan
Eri Ito
Kidney Disease Center, Japanese Red Cross Nagoya Daini Hospital, Japan
Naoki Kamegai
Kidney Disease Center, Japanese Red Cross Nagoya Daini Hospital, Japan
Hiroya Shimogushi
Kidney Disease Center, Japanese Red Cross Nagoya Daini Hospital, Japan
Hibiki Shinjo
Kidney Disease Center, Japanese Red Cross Nagoya Daini Hospital, Japan
Kiyomi Koike
Kidney Disease Center, Japanese Red Cross Nagoya Daini Hospital, Japan
Yasuhiro Otsuka
Kidney Disease Center, Japanese Red Cross Nagoya Daini Hospital, Japan
Asami Takeda
Kidney Disease Center, Japanese Red Cross Nagoya Daini Hospital, Japan

Keywords: familial hypercholesterolemia, low-density lipoprotein apheresis, evolocumab

JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS

2017 Volume 56 Issue 12 Pages 1531-1535

DOI https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.56.7958

Details

Abstract

Two elderly patients (a 76-year-old man and a 75-year-old woman), who had been previously diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolemia (at 58 and 48 years of age, respectively) underwent long-term treatment with oral therapy and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) apheresis. As their LDL cholesterol levels remained high (>150 mg/dL and >120 mg/dL, respectively) and their familial hypercholesterolemia was complicated with angina pectoris, we added evolocumab to their prescription. Thereafter, their LDL cholesterol levels decreased rapidly, and the patients were successfully weaned from LDL apheresis. Evolocumab therapy should thus be considered when LDL apheresis cannot achieve the target LDL cholesterol levels, though the prognosis of such treatment remains unclear.

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