Abu Dhabi, UAE – 5 May 2025 – On the Homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HoFH) Awareness Day, Imperial College London Diabetes Centre joins the global community to raise awareness about the rare, inherited and life-threatening condition that results in extremely high cholesterol levels from birth.
HoFH is the most severe forms of Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH), occurring when a child inherits two altered copies of the FH gene, one from each parent. If left undiagnosed or untreated, HoFH can lead to aggressive cardiovascular disease, often beginning during childhood or adolescence.
Despite its rareness, HoFH represents a serious global health concern. Estimated to affect 1 in 300,000 people worldwide, so approximately 34 million individuals worldwide, HoFH Awareness Day serves as a critical reminder of the need for increased awareness, early diagnosis and timely treatment. With growing access to genetic screening and specialised care in Abu Dhabi, earlier detection and early intervention is increasingly achievable.
At Imperial College London Diabetes Centre’s Lipid Clinic, Consultant, Internal Medicine Dr. Sarah Qureshi provides expert care for individuals with complex lipid disorders, including HoFH, aided by a diagnostic process, which involves sending blood samples from suspected patients to M42’s Biogenix Labs for genetic testing using its next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology.
“HoFH is often underdiagnosed due to its rarity, but early detection and proactive management are critical,” said Dr. Sarah Qureshi. “At our Lipid Clinic, we adopt a multidisciplinary approach to support patients in managing their cholesterol levels and reduce long-term cardiovascular risks. By increasing awareness, we can improve earlier diagnosis and better patient outcomes.”
As part of this awareness initiative, Dr. Qureshi will host an online public session on 14 May, 2025 from 3pm-4pm to help raise understanding of HoFH, including symptoms and available treatment options. Details of the session and how to participate will be shared on Imperial College London Diabetes Centre’s official social media channels.
The Centre encourages people with a family history of high cholesterol or premature heart disease to get screened. Early diagnosis can be lifesaving.
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About Imperial College London Diabetes Centre
Imperial College London Diabetes Centre (ICLDC), an M42 company, is a state-of-the-art outpatient facility that specialises in diabetes treatment, research, training, and public health awareness. In just over a decade, the Centre has gained international renown for its holistic approach to the treatment of diabetes and related complications that enables patients to receive the full spectrum of care they need in one place.
With more than 80 diabetes professionals and endocrinologists under one roof, Imperial College London Diabetes Centre offers best-in-class medical attention from first diagnosis to disease management across 11 specialist practice areas including adult and paediatric endocrinology, treatment of metabolic and electrolyte disorders, pre- and post-bariatric surgery care, heart disease prevention, nutritional advice, diabetes education services, ophthalmology, nephrology, and podiatry.
ICLDC was established in 2006 in Abu Dhabi by Mubadala in partnership with the UK’s Imperial College London to address the growing demand for diabetes care in the UAE. The centre now operates four branches across Abu Dhabi, Al Dhafra and Al Ain, touching the lives of more than one million people through patient-centric programmes and public health initiatives. In 2007, ICLDC launched Diabetes. Knowledge. Action, now the longest running public health awareness campaign in the country. The initiative promotes an active lifestyle through an ongoing calendar of events for the whole community.
ICLDC holds the Joint Commission International (JCI) Clinical Care Program Certification in Outpatient Diabetes Management and JCI Accreditation for Ambulatory Care.
For more information, please visit www.icldc.ae
Contact Person:
Ms. Krupa Potdar, Marketing Manager, Imperial College London Diabetes Centre
M: 0551392914 | E: kpotdar@icldc.ae
About M42
M42 is a global health champion powered by artificial intelligence (AI), technology and genomics to advance innovation in health for people and the planet. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, M42 combines its specialized, state-of-the-art facilities with integrated health solutions like genomics and biobanks, and harnesses advanced technologies to deliver precise, preventive and predictive care, to impactfully disrupt traditional healthcare models and positively impact lives globally.
Established in 2022, following the coming together of G42 Healthcare and Mubadala Health, M42 has more than 480 facilities in 26 countries and over 20,000 employees. M42 includes renowned healthcare providers including Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Danat Al Emarat, Diaverum, Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Hospital, and Moorfields Eye Hospital Abu Dhabi. As well as operating the Emirati Genome Programme, M42 runs Abu Dhabi BioBank and Abu Dhabi Health Data Services (ADHDS), a global tech-enabled healthcare company operating Malaffi.
