There’s been a lot of news stories on lately about having a child’s cholesterol level checked. Should I ask my children’s pediatrician to consider doing this for my kids?
We all know how high cholesterol levels affect the heart and the blood vessels in adults and the necessity of checking it regularly as well as treating those with levels higher than recommended. Before it was known that it takes a long time for cholesterol plaques to develop within the arteries and vessels, it was initially hard to correlate childhood behaviors and cholesterol levels with adult outcomes; however, in the 1960’s and 1970’s when young soldiers were autopsied while in Vietnam, it was discovered that many already had plaques in their aorta (the main artery that leaves the heart and travels dowwn to the abdomen).
All aspects of a child’s health should be monitored regularly, including cholesterol levels if indicated. Children who have a family history of cardiac disease, including heart attacks before age 55 years old, high cholesterol, low HDL “good” cholesterol, and children who are obese – over the 85 percentile in weight compared to height – Â should be evaluated and routinely have their cholesterol levels drawn.
The first cholesterol level in these children should be drawn between 2 and 10 years old. If cholesterol and its subtypes are normal, then it should be repeated every 5 years or so. Should any of the values be abnormal, then dietary changes should be put in place and labs repeated in approximately 6 months. If there are still elevated levels, then the child should be seen and evaluated by a pediatric gastroenterologist appropriately trained in cholesterol abnormalities.
Should there be no significant family history, then find out the cholesterol level around the beginning of puberty and again at 18 years old as baselines. Stopping all cholesterol intake will not stop cholesterol being made in the body. Some cholesterol is important even in infants, since it is an integral part in the development of the brain and nervous system. Eating right from the very beginning develops good eating habits with a healthy active lifestyle further helping to maintain proper levels.
Life-long healthy living will help as much as possible. So if there are any concerns as named above, have a fasting cholesterol level drawn, and have it appropriately evaluated by the child’s pediatrician. If necessary, see a specialist.
Good Luck,
DRTOM
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