PATIENTS in Dudley borough will be some of the first in England to benefit from genetic testing for Familial Hyperlipidaemia (FH).

Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is one of the first CCGs in the country to fund services into early diagnosis of FH, an inherited condition meaning cholesterol levels are much higher than normal from birth.

The proposal to provide genetic testing as the first stage towards full compliance, as recommended by The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, was agreed last week.

Dr Jonathan Darby, GP and clinical lead for Dudley CCG, said: “I think this is a great step forward in diagnosing and treating a potentially serious condition, but one that is eminently treatable, so needs to be picked up.

“I am delighted the CCG and Dudley Group of Hospitals have worked in collaboration to provide such a pioneering service for the patients of Dudley.”

The condition, which affects about one in 500 people, is caused by abnormal genes and, despite putting people at high risk of early cardiovascular disease, most people do not know they have it.

Kevin Dodd, chairman of Dudley HUGS (Hearts Undergoing Support), said: “The delay in getting a definite diagnosis was causing people real distress and anxiety, so we shared those concerns with the CCG.

“This will make a real difference to this group of extremely high risk patients.”