FHchol Austria has celebrated 15 years of supporting people and families affected by familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) and other inherited lipid conditions. The organisation was founded on 14 October 2011 by Gabriele “Gaby” Hanauer-Mader and fellow advocates. It grew from the self-help group Familial Hypercholesterolaemia in Children and Adolescents, which Gaby established in 2004 with the support of Professor Kurt Widhalm.
Today, FHchol Austria is a welcoming patient organisation that connects people and families, provides reliable information, encourages earlier diagnosis and treatment, and represents their interests within healthcare and wider society. Its work continues to evolve to support people affected by other inherited lipid conditions, as well as FH. The anniversary was marked on 16 October 2026 at Hotel Regina in Vienna. Members, patients, families and healthcare professionals came together for the organisation’s General Assembly, specialist presentations, questions and discussion, followed by an anniversary dinner.
Fifteen years of community action
During the General Assembly, FHchol Austria reflected on its recent awareness, education and community activities. These included patient meetings, public information events, health checks and cooperation with healthcare professionals and other heart organisations. The evening also recognised people who have made an important contribution to the organisation.
Professor Kurt Widhalm, a founding figure and long-standing Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board, received honorary membership.
Monika Chocholous received the Gaby Hanauer-Mader Award 2026 in recognition of her long-standing and outstanding commitment. The award was originally Monika Chocholous’s idea following Gaby Hanauer-Mader’s death. It was created to honour Gaby’s legacy and recognise exceptional service to the community. These honours reflect the personal commitment behind FHchol Austria. Its work is shaped by people living with inherited lipid conditions, families, volunteers, healthcare professionals and supporters who contribute their knowledge, experience and time.
Key insights from the evening presentations
The specialist programme focused on the Austrian Lipid Consensus 2026 and Austria’s “Fass Dir ein Herz” FH Register. Dr Gersina Rega-Kaun, Dr Florian Höllerl and Dr Helmut Brath presented the Austrian consensus. It contains evidence-based recommendations for preventing and treating lipid-related conditions, with guidance covering children, adults and people with additional health conditions.
Several practical messages emerged from the presentations:
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Exposure to high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, known as LDL cholesterol, builds over a lifetime. Earlier identification and treatment can reduce the time a person is exposed to high LDL.
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Lifestyle measures are an important foundation for cardiovascular health, but the meeting heard that they are rarely enough on their own to control LDL cholesterol in people with FH.
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Treatment should reflect a person’s overall cardiovascular risk. Follow-up is needed to assess whether agreed LDL cholesterol targets are being reached.
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When one person is diagnosed with FH, offering testing to close relatives can help identify other affected family members. This is known as cascade screening or where they child is found reverse cascade screening to find parents.
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If treatment is not well tolerated, options discussed included a structured review, dose adjustment or an alternative medicine, guided by a healthcare professional.
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These points provide general information, not personal medical advice. Treatment decisions should always be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional.
Learning from the Austrian FH Register
Professor Hans Dieplinger presented information from Austria’s “Fass Dir ein Herz” FH Register. The screening and register project was established by the Austrian Atherosclerosis Society in 2015, working with various stakeholders. It collects anonymised information to improve understanding of FH diagnosis, treatment and care in Austria. The meeting heard that approximately 1,627 people were included in the register. Among registered participants, around 12.7% of adults and 5% of young people were reported to be reaching their LDL cholesterol targets. These figures relate specifically to people represented in the register and should not be interpreted as estimates for everyone living with FH in Austria.
The discussion also covered how register information is protected. According to the meeting summary, participation requires written consent, identifying information remains at the participating treatment centre, and information held in the register is anonymised. This was a discussion with the participants at the meeting who wanted to understand how individuals are included in these registries and how they are used. Participation is voluntary was part of the explanation. The register helps build knowledge about FH care and identify areas where diagnosis, follow-up or treatment may need to improve, but still we miss a lot of individuals and a lot of information that can help build the bigger picture.
From awareness to earlier detection
FHchol Austria continues to find creative ways to bring information about FH into everyday life. For FH Awareness Day 2025, the organisation ran a campaign across Vienna’s public transport network. Short questions, answers and quizzes appeared every 15 minutes on information screens in buses, trams and selected underground stations during FH Week. The campaign helped explain the difference between common high cholesterol and inherited FH.
The anniversary presentations reinforced why this awareness matters. FH can affect several members of a family, yet it may not cause noticeable symptoms. Recognising a possible family pattern, having cholesterol checked and discussing the results with a healthcare professional can support earlier identification. When one person receives an FH diagnosis, cascade screening can give close relatives the opportunity to be assessed. The meeting acknowledged that this process is voluntary and should be supported by clear, sensitive information for families. By placing straightforward information in public spaces, FHchol Austria meets people where they are. These locally rooted activities can prompt questions, open family conversations and help turn awareness into appropriate testing and professional care.
A busy anniversary year
The anniversary meeting was part of a varied programme of information, awareness and community activities during 2026.
In February, FHchol Austria co-organised the symposium Familial Hypercholesterolaemia: Prevention Begins in the Family, held at the Billrothhaus in Vienna to mark Professor Kurt Widhalm’s 80th birthday. Its practical programme was designed for doctors and other healthcare professionals working in the prevention and treatment of lipid conditions.
The organisation also created regular opportunities for community connection. These included an in-person FH meeting at Café Museum in February and an online meeting in June featuring Dr Reinhold Innerhofer, who discussed personalised preventive medicine and the possible role of new technologies and mobile applications.
A Gaby Hanauer-Mader memorial walk took place in March, and a further in-person FH community meeting was held in September.
For FH Awareness Day on 24 September, FHchol Austria joined the Austrian Heart Fund, Austrian Heart Association, Meine Herzklappe and puls.at for a public heart-health event at Westfield Donau Zentrum. The free testing programme included measurements of total, LDL and HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoprotein(a) and long-term blood glucose. Heart-valve checks and defibrillator training were also offered.
Together, these activities show the different ways in which the organisation brings people together, shares information and provides opportunities for the public to learn more about cardiovascular risk.
Working together in Austria and across Europe
FH Europe Foundation has been proud to work alongside FHchol Austria as part of its international network. This partnership was particularly visible at the 2024 FH Europe Foundation Annual Network Meeting in Vienna. Held under the theme “Together, engaged for change!”, the meeting brought together people living with inherited lipid conditions, family members, patient advocates, clinicians, researchers and other partners.
As FHchol Austria begins its next chapter, it remains committed to providing a welcoming community and trusted information for people affected by FH and other inherited lipid conditions. Its work will continue to evolve in response to the needs of patients and families, strengthening connections, supporting earlier identification and ensuring their experiences are heard.
A message from FH Europe Foundation
In a letter shared for the anniversary, Magdalena Daccord, CEO of FH Europe Foundation, described the occasion as a celebration not only of an organisation, but of the people behind it:
“Today is a celebration of far more than an anniversary. It is a celebration of people: people who chose to speak up, people who chose to care, and people who believed that, together, they could change lives.”
Having attended FHchol Austria’s tenth anniversary five years earlier, Magdalena Daccord reflected on its progress and its growing contribution to awareness, support and advocacy for people affected by FH and other inherited lipid conditions. She also recognised the organisation’s influence beyond Austria:
“Through your commitment, collaboration and generosity, you have strengthened not only the FH community in Austria, but also the wider European community.”
The letter highlighted Austria’s contribution to paediatric screening, including the work of Professor Kurt Widhalm and evidence from the Austrian paediatric registry and screening programme. This Austrian experience was brought into the European Union Public Health Best Practice framework, helping to demonstrate the importance of earlier identification and action.
At the heart of the message was the value of bringing individual voices together:
“When one voice speaks, it can inspire another. When many voices come together, they can transform systems, influence policy and save lives.”
Magdalena Daccord paid tribute to founder Gabriele “Gaby” Hanauer-Mader, whose determination helped transform a self-help group into FHchol Austria. She also thanked Anna Andrea Böhm and her team for carrying that vision forward “with warmth, resilience and unwavering commitment”.
Looking to the future, her letter acknowledged that further work remains to reach families, identify people living with FH and ensure that patient voices are heard. It closed by thanking FHchol Austria for its partnership, friendship and commitment to the FH community.
“If the past 15 years have taught us anything, it is that when passionate people come together with a shared purpose, remarkable things happen.”
Congratulations to everyone who has contributed to the organisation’s first 15 years.
Further reading
