In conversation with… Martina van der Paard

Martina van der Paard is a specialized vascular nurse and LEEFH consultant. It's time to talk to this professional about her work at the Ommelander Hospital in Groningen.

"I particularly enjoy the variety in my work," says the vascular nurse, who has been working at Ommelander Hospital since 1982. "Just dealing with cholesterol would be a bit monotonous." The vascular nurse puts her heart and soul into her work at the hospital. She talks enthusiastically about FH and how people can recognize it in themselves.


"People sometimes havefat deposits around their eyes, fatty lumps on their fingers and tendons, and heels. Often it is less noticeable, but some patients also have a bow around their eyes. The most common occurrence is a build-up on the eyelids." But FH is a silent killer, because people do not always have external symptoms! "Most people have no external characteristics. You can have it for years," says Martina. "It doesn't happen overnight. Most patients come to the vascular nurse via the cardiologist. They already have cardiac problems (for example, they have had angioplasty) or via the vascular surgeon.

Luck with family
Martina: "If you are 'lucky' enough to have a family member with FH, you will find out sooner." In practice, the vascular nurse unfortunately notices that many people have no contact with their family. It is very common for there to be problems within families. "There's something going on everywhere," sighs the nurse. And for FH, that can have major consequences.

New insights
"Insights weren't the same back then as they are now," Martina explains. "Young people weren't treated until they were 18. Nowadays, there's even umbilical cord blood testing!" She says that the pediatrician was very involved in setting up the LEEFH center. "The earlier a child is treated, the lower the risk of 'events,' as Martina calls them. By that she means, for example, a heart attack.

Good lifestyle and FH
It is treacherous that you cannot feel high cholesterol. The nurse: 'People are suddenly diagnosed with something they cannot feel; they feel healthy. When people are young, they are naturally not concerned with illness and death. They really do not want to take medication. Most people are also not very compliant with treatment. There are also people who try to change their lifestyle first. They exercise more and eat healthier. We then take another blood sample after three months. The results are often very disappointing. It all has to do with your liver's production and disposal. You simply have no control over that. I think patients need to convince themselves of the usefulness and necessity of medication.'

Finally, the vascular nurse would like to add something. "It's great to work with other LEEFH centers! Will you include that in your interview?"