[Attitude to genetic screening for familial hypercholesterolemia].

Familial hypercholesterolemia causes premature cardiovascular disease. Genetic screening of patients' relatives who have already been diagnosed has proved to be more efficient than screening in a general population. Privacy laws in Norway forbid physicians to directly contact persons with genetic disorders who are not their own patients. We examined attitudes towards this type of screening in a representative sample of the Norwegian population and a group of patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia. In both groups the majority showed a positive attitude towards physicians contacting relatives directly to detect individuals with familial hypercholesterolaemia. In both groups the majority wanted to know whether, based on the diagnosis of relatives, they might also be affected. Both groups wanted this information regardless of the risk of their being affected. We conclude that the privacy laws should be amended to conform with the attitudes of the population and the patients, thus enabling physicians to contact relatives directly.