To lower cholesterol, these patients got a one-time tweak to their genes

Christos Soteriou was 29 when he needed a quadruple bypass surgery.

Christos Soteriou was 29 when he needed a quadruple bypass surgery. Four arteries in his heart had become so clogged with plaque that blood could no longer flow through them.

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It’s a surprisingly young age to need such a surgery, but extremely high levels of cholesterol run in Soteriou’s family — a genetic condition called familial hypercholesterolemia. His father died of heart disease at 46; his son was diagnosed with elevated cholesterol at 14; and Soteriou himself, now 51, has had two heart attacks since his operation.

Christos Soteriou, left, with his son Jade. Soteriou has familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic condition that causes extremely high cholesterol levels. Courtesy Jade SoteriouHe’s tried statins and a newer drug, Repatha, to lower his cholesterol, but nothing worked.