Cholesterol Screening Is Urged for Young

[Jahness]

Cholesterol Screening Is Urged for Young

By TARA PARKER-POPE

The nation’s pediatricians are recommending wider cholesterol screening for children and more aggressive use of cholesterol-lowering drugs starting as early as the age of 8 in hopes of preventing adult heart problems.

The new guidelines were to be issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics on Monday.

The push to aggressively screen and medicate for high cholesterol in children is certain to create controversy amid a continuing debate about the use of prescription drugs in children as well as the best approaches to ward off heart disease in adults.

But proponents say there is growing evidence that the first signs of heart disease show up in childhood, and with 30 percent of the nation’s children overweight or obese, many doctors fear that a rash of early heart attacks and diabetes is on the horizon as these children grow up.

Previously, the academy had said cholesterol drugs should be considered in children older than 10 if they fail to lose weight after a 6- to 12-month effort. The academy estimated that under the current guidelines, 30 percent to 60 percent of children with high cholesterol were being missed. And for some children, cholesterol-lowering drugs, called statins, may be their best hope of lowering their risk of early heart attack, proponents said.

“We are in an epidemic,” said Dr. Jatinder Bhatia, a member of the academy’s nutrition committee who is a 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.”

Dr. Bhatia said that although there was not “a whole lot” of data on pediatric use of cholesterol-lowering drugs, recent research showed that the drugs were generally safe for children.

Surprisingly, the paper published in the medical journal Pediatrics that explains the new guidelines notes that among adolescents, average total cholesterol levels as well as LDL and HDL cholesterol have remained stable, while triglyceride levels have dropped, based on data collected from 1988 to 2000.

It is not clear how many children would be affected by the new guidelines. The recommendations call for cholesterol screening of children and adolescents, starting as early as the age of 2 and no later than the age of 10, if they come from families with a history of high cholesterol or heart attacks before 55 for men and 65 for women.

Screening is also recommended for children when family history is unknown, or if they have other risk factors, like being at or above the 85th percentile for weight, or have diabetes.

If the child’s cholesterol level is normal, retesting is suggested in three to five years. Although lifestyle changes are still recommended as the first course of action, drug treatment should be considered for children 8 years and older who have bad cholesterol of 190 milligrams per deciliter and who also have a family history of early heart disease or two additional risk factors, the new recommendations say.

The guidelines give no guidance on how long a child should stay on drug treatment.

But they do say the first goal should be to lower bad cholesterol levels to less than 160 milligrams or possibly as low as 110 milligrams in children with a strong family history of heart disease or other risk factors like obesity.

Because statins have been around since only the mid-1980s, there is no evidence to show whether giving statins to a child will lower the risk for heart attack in middle age.

The academy also now recommends giving children low-fat milk after 12 months if a doctor is concerned about future weight problems. Although children need fat for brain development, the group says that because children often consume so much fat, low-fat milk is now appropriate.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/07/he...hp&oref=slogin

Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

[Mamazen]

This is insane.

What has happened to just feeding the child real food?!?!? Cutting out the daily fast food, sodas and junk?

Again big pharm is out to make a killing again (literally!) because people are too lazy to get to the root of the problem.

Next thing you know.... infants are going to be on this.

[Jahness]

Originally Posted by Mamazen

This is insane.

What has happened to just feeding the child real food?!?!? Cutting out the daily fast food, sodas and junk?

Again big pharm is out to make a killing again (literally!) because people are too lazy to get to the root of the problem.

Next thing you know.... infants are going to be on this.

Greetings Mamazen!

You are so right. People don't want to take the time to feed the children real food anymore. No one wants to cook real food. To them it is too time consuming. Fast food is the quick and easy way. Children are feeling the brunt of all this dis-ease that is creeping up on them faster than they can get out the womb.

The unhealthy eating habits of families these days are showing up earlier and earlier in children with a lot of childhood diseases. Adults are not realizing that the sooner they start eating a more balanced meal and teach their children to do the same, the better off the families would be.

Thanks for sharing.

Peace & Blessings!

[Guinan]

Bull, 100% bull
This is another way for 'them' to cash in on someone being "sick". For example, the blood pressure norm about 10 years ago was 140/90 now it is 120/80. They keep switching what is "normal" and people start freaking out and buying medications. People are paying out money to continue eating the way they want to and not doing what they are supposed to-- eat right and exercise. How much y'all wanna bet the cholesterol "safe" levels change now?

MamaZ and Queen Jahness, y'all are right. People should COOK instead of driving up to BurgerHell, etc...convenience will kill us all

[Jahness]

Originally Posted by Guinan

Bull, 100% bull
This is another way for 'them' to cash in on someone being "sick". For example, the blood pressure norm about 10 years ago was 140/90 now it is 120/80. They keep switching what is "normal" and people start freaking out and buying medications. People are paying out money to continue eating the way they want to and not doing what they are supposed to-- eat right and exercise. How much y'all wanna bet the cholesterol "safe" levels change now?

MamaZ and Queen Jahness, y'all are right. People should COOK instead of driving up to BurgerHell, etc...convenience will kill us all

Greetings Guinan!

You hit the nail on the head Queen. Convenience will kill us for real...lol

Stay Blessed!