Could One-Third of American Kids have High Cholesterol?
A brand new study has uncovered some troubling statistics regarding the health of many children in this country. Researchers report that nearly one-third of children could have unhealthy levels of cholesterol. Not only is this pose an immediate health issue, but it puts them at serious risk for cardiovascular complications later in life.
This high cholesterol clinical study involved more than 12,000 participants (between the ages of 9 and 11), and the results were presented at the American College of Cardiology’s annual conference in Washington this April. The data shows that 30 percent of participants tested possessed “borderline” or “abnormal” cholesterol levels.
“It’s a problem that’s underdiagnosed,” explained Thomas Seery, lead author of the study and pediatric cardiologist at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. According to Seery, cholesterol issues during childhood is the most efficient predictor of high cholesterol in adulthood.
Universal Cholesterol Screening for Children
Nearly three years ago, experts from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute issued guidelines that recommend pediatric cholesterol screenings prior to and after adolescence. Just about 5,000 of the participants in this new study were at risk or already had developed high cholesterol. Researchers also noted that nearly the same number of children were also obese.
Only a small percentage (less than 2 percent) of pediatric high cholesterol cases can be attributed to genetics. Seery says the primary culprits are:
- Being overweight or obese
- Lack of exercise
- Unhealthy overall diet
“There’s no question that we are seeing alarming increases in obesity and elevated cholesterol levels in children and adolescents,” stated Steven Nissen, chairman of the cardiovascular medicine department at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
Is Universal Screening Warranted?
Nissen, who wasn’t involved in the study, isn’t sure that screening kids for high cholesterol is the right approach to take either. His concern is that this would only lead to more children being prescribed medications that they don’t need.
He recommends active tutoring or counseling for obese children that could help them implement healthier lifestyle choices (eating more of these foods is a great start). Nissen argues that there is a lack of evidence supporting screenings long-term benefits. In fact, he says the only guarantee we have is that it’ll cost a lot of money to implement.
Dr. Seery disagrees, and he’s not alone on this one. Robert Eckel, the previous president of the American Heart Association, and Seery think that universal screening would at the very least prompt more conversations between doctor and patient about improving their lifestyle habits.
“We really need to emphasize prevention, and that begins in childhood,” explained Eckel who is now a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. “This could be a good opportunity to sit down with parents and move them in the right direction.”
At this time, it would seem that more research is needed before further action can be taken one way or another. Some experts have even highlighted several limitations with this clinical study that will need to be accounted for. Dr. Seery may need to broaden his patient population base to include children living in other parts of the country.