A family history of hypercholesterolemia is very, very important. Familial hypercholesterolemia means that an individual has a very high circulating cholesterol concentration. Cholesterol is a major risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis, by that I mean furring up of the coronary arteries. People with familial hypercholesterolemias usually have heart attacks in their twenties and thirties. A family history of familial hypercholesterolemia should mean rapid assessment of one’s cholesterol because there are fantastic drugs on the market known as the statins that can bring down the cholesterol level and reduce the risk of heart attacks significantly. These blood tests are offered on the National Health Service.