Do Your Kids Have High Cholesterol?

Heart disease continues to be among the leading killers in the world today. In the United States, waistbands continue to stretch – even among children. As childhood obesity rates climb, so do concerns about children's heath. High levels of cholesterol, a lipid transported in blood plasma, have been linked to cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction (heart attack), and stroke.

Recently, the New York Times reported that pediatricians are recommending cholesterol testing for children, starting as young as eight years old. They hope that testing children will make it easier to detect and prevent adult heart problems. The notion of testing is controversial since many parents don't want to administer prescription drugs to children. Many also remain skeptical of whether this is the best way to prevent adult heart disease.

New guidelines about this issue were presented by the American Academy of Pediatrics on Monday. Advocates claim that the first signs of heart disease show up during childhood. Because childhood obesity is estimated at around 30%, doctors fear that it could develop into heart-attacks or diabetes later in life.

Cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins are relatively low-risk, says Dr. Jatinder Bhatia, professor and chief of neonatology at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. "The risk of giving statins at a lower age is less than the benefit you're going to get out of it," she claims. Statins have only been used since the mid-1980s, and there is no proof that they will lower the risk of a heart attack in middle age. Despite having little data regarding the pediatric use of statins, Dr. Bhatia says that recent research shows that the drugs are generally safe for children.

Under the new guidelines, it will be recommended that children who come from families with a history of heart disease be screened between the ages two and ten. Screening is also suggested in cases where the family history is unknown, the child is overweight/obese, and if the child has diabetes. If the screening shows that cholesterol levels are normal, pediatricians suggest retesting the child in three to five years.

If cholesterol levels are "bad", the guidelines call for children eight years or older to be given statins. "Bad" cholesterol under the new guidelines is a condition which affects a child with levels of 190 milligrams per deciliter, or 160 milligrams per deciliter or higher and a family history of early heart disease or two additional risk factors. It is not detailed how long the child should be on the medication.

Resources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/07/health/07cholesterol.html?_r=1&ref=health&oref=slogin

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/101/1/141

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/HeartDiseaseNews/story?id=5325871&page=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholesterol