Advocating cholesterol testing for children
New guidelines on screening children for high cholesterol before they reach puberty will be presented at the American Heart Association conference this Sunday. This topic hits close to home. North Carolina tests for cholesterol in children while many states do not. When we moved to North Carolina our daughter was tested as part of her initial pediatric exam. The 1st time they did the test, they thought it was a mistake. After the third test, we realized that we had a problem as her cholesterol level was 350! Cholesterol numbers for anyone should be under the 200’s, and the borderline normal cholesterol level is 230. If it’s above 240 then your cholesterol is considered high! She was diagnosed with Familial Hypercholesterolemia which is the most common type of inherited high cholesterol.
Individuals with high cholesterol have a significantly increased risk of developing coronary artery disease & plaque buildup, and of having heart attacks so efforts to identify more kids is clearly important. 52 million Americans have high cholesterol, a leading cause of heart disease. Right now in the US, 1 out of 3 kids are considered overweight or obese which increases the risk of developing the condition. By doing this test earlier, doctors will be able to help families make lifestyle changes that can save lives. I am glad that the American Heart Association is advocating this test and pray that pediatricians will take the recommendations to heart.
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