To the Editor A recent study delivered a well-executed analysis of a complex question: Is universal pediatric low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) screening with reflex familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) genotyping cost-effective in the US? Under a conventional threshold of $100 000 per quality-adjusted life-year and a 3% discount rate, the answer is no.
The study’s model necessarily simplified reality, with results based on the appropriateness of numerous inputs and assumptions. The most reasonable changes in inputs had little effect, except for the discount rate.
JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) published a clinical update in Research Highlights on 21 Apr 2026.
The item focuses on Cost-Effectiveness of Familial Hypercholesterolemia Screening in Childhood and Early Adulthood.
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