Evelien Kars: “It’s vital to involve young people.”

Evelien Kars (40), vascular nurse, Franciscus Gasthuis Hospital, Rotterdam 

“FH. Being young is vital.”

As a vascular nurse and FH consultant, Evelien Kars sees people who have been diagnosed with FH or are suspected of having it. The FH consultant explains: "There may also be serious suspicion of other hereditary lipid metabolism disorders. If FH is suspected, a DNA test will always be performed. People may also be referred by their GP, for example if family members have high cholesterol or premature cardiovascular disease, which is how we sometimes discover FH."

LEEFH center
Since October 2019, the Franciscus Gasthuis has had a LEEFH center. It is the second LEEFH center in Rotterdam, and the two centers complement each other well. So there was a reason to set up a second LEEFH center. "What's more, we have a different catchment area," explains Evelien. 

Discussing FH with family
"As an FHconsultant, I maintain contact nationwide at LEEFH. The foundation sends a message when a positive index is found. I then contact the person concerned. We discuss the results together and then I initiate contact with the family." According to Evelien, contact with the family is very important. "Some people want to inform their family immediately, others take their time. I am there for them to help overcome any objections. Personally, I think it is very important that people who have been diagnosed with FH take responsibility for telling their family. This can be difficult if, for example, there has been a rift and no contact between family members.  Some FH patients have very good reasons for not telling their family that they have FH. For example, if there is a 90-year-old mother who would then have to be tested. I still think it is important that the FH results are discussed. 

Lifestyle
Another important part of Evelien's work as an FH consultant is discussing lifestyle. "It happens that people just continue to smoke when they have FH. This is very dangerous, because smoking damages the walls of the blood vessels. This can lead to problems with arteriosclerosis. Smoking is a really nasty addiction. I refer people to the 'smoking cessation clinic' at the hospital. There, patients receive a number of consultations and intensive guidance. I always bring up the subject of lifestyle in my conversations with people. I offer everyone an appointment with a dietitian, because I think it's important to have someone monitor their diet. Provided people are motivated, of course. I believe I also have a role model function. It would be very strange if I advised people to quit smoking while I myself smelled of smoke. I do think it works best to empower people to find the motivation to change, rather than pointing fingers. I really enjoy my work. Because we are really saving lives at LEEFH. There are still 40,000 people walking around undiagnosed, thinking they are completely healthy. FH is treatable. But being young is vital.