Familial Hypercholesterolemia is an example of which inheritance type?

• A. Autosomal Dominant
• B. X-linked Recessive
• C. Autosomal Recessive
• D. Y-linked

Answer: (A)

Familial Hypercholesterolemia is classified as an autosomal dominant inheritance disorder. This means that only one copy of the mutated gene, inherited from an affected parent, is sufficient to cause the condition. The gene responsible for this disorder typically affects the body's ability to remove low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol from the bloodstream, leading to high levels of cholesterol and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

When a disorder is autosomal dominant, it generally manifests in individuals who have just one copy of the mutated gene, and this can occur in every generation of a family. This contrasts with autosomal recessive disorders, where two copies of the mutated gene (one from each parent) are required for the onset of the disease. X-linked disorders predominantly affect males because males have only one X chromosome, while females have two; as a result, females often require two copies of the mutation to express the trait. Y-linked inheritance is limited to traits that are passed from father to son through the Y chromosome and does not apply to conditions like Familial Hypercholesterolemia, which affects both sexes equally.

The nature of Familial Hypercholesterolemia as an autosomal dominant trait helps explain the pattern of inheritance often observed in affected families,