The effect of hypercholesterolemia on vascular calcification was confirmed when Awan et al.131 reported that patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), who possess mutations in the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene, show severe and extensive vascular calcification in their thoracoabdominal aortas; this process usually commences at 20 years of age in homozygous FH patients. The gene discussed is LDLR; the disease is familial hypercholesterolemia.