Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic disorder that affects about 1 in 250 people and increases the likelihood of having coronary heart disease at the younger age.

The genetic changes that cause FH are inherited. The condition is present from birth but symptoms may not appear until adulthood. If you inherited FH from on parent, there’s 50% chance you will pass it on to your children. If both of your parents pass the FH trait to you then, your children will definitely have FH. That’s why it’s crucial to get children with a family history tested at an early age and begin cholesterol – reducing treatment for those with FH.

What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Familial Hypercholesterolemia?

Kids with this condition have a high level of LDL cholesterol in the blood. 

This is typically:

over 160 mg/dL if there is a family history of premature heart disease

over 190mg/dL with no family history of premature heart disease
It may be diagnosed in some children who have an LDL of 130mg/dL or higher if there's a strong family history of high cholesterol or early heart disease.

Many kids and teens with familial hypercholesterolemia don’t have any signs or symptoms. If there are signs or symptoms, these can include:

soft, yellow bumps (known as cholesterol deposits) under the skin of the hands, elbows, knees, or along the Achilles tendon (the tendon in the back of the ankle)yellow areas around the eyes, or a white or grey ring around the iris.

If we make children a habit of swimming from childhood, then we can protect them from cardiovascular disease to a great extent. Swimming can help to create healthy habits at an early age to ensure children maintain a healthy heart as they age.

Swimming works the heart and lungs. This trains the body to use oxygen more efficiently, which is generally reflected in declines in the resting heart rate and breathing rate.

Studies says swimming helps improve circulation and cardiac efficiency, Reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition to lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke, Swimming can improve the number, size and efficiency of mitochondria.

1. Swimming Strengthens the Heart

As a low-impact aerobic exercise, kids can put less pressure on their joints while strengthening their heart--and every other muscle in their body! Swimming can also lower the resting heart rate, strengthening the heart by making it larger, and making the heart more efficient at supplying blood to the body.

Swimming strengthens the Heart by helping into become larger, making it more efficient in pumping – which leads to better blood flow throughout your body. 30 minutes of swimming a day can reduce coronary heart disease 30 to 40 %

2. Swimming Burns Calories

Swimming is one of the biggest calorie-burning exercises and as such, it’s great for keeping weight under control, thus keeping your heart healthier. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health, burning extra calories can help you lose excess weight or stay at your healthy weight, which protects against heart disease. With just 30 minutes of breaststroke swimming three times per week, you could burn 900 calories

3. Swimming Lowers Blood Pressure

Studies show that swimming a few times a week can lower systolic blood
pressure, improve blood vessel function and lower blood pressure at rest.

4. Swimming Helps Maintain Cholesterol Levels

Swimming aids in fat burn which helps increase your chance of reducing dangerous cholesterol like Very Low Density and Low-Density Lipoproteins. It also raises good cholesterol levels HDL too. For every 1% increase in HDL cholesterol, the risk of dying from heart disease drops by 3.5 %. Studies shows that aerobic exercises like swimming can also keep the layer of cells lining your arteries flexible and in good shape.

5. Swimming Helps with Stress
According to the American Heart Association, negative psychological health/mental health is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Swimming is a great way to release endorphins and create a positive feeling in the body.