Cholesterol is an issue on the minds of many Americans as they try to lower their LDL or “bad cholesterol” and raise their levels of HDL, or “good cholesterol” in the hope of reducing their risk of heart disease. Many Americans diligently alter their diet to limit those tasty but high fat meats and desserts and replace them with more heart healthy fruits and vegetables. In some cases, diet doesn’t have the desired effect and they need cholesterol lowering medications to get their levels under control. While it’s clear that adults should have their cholesterol checked regularly, what about children? Should you have your child’s cholesterol checked regularly?
The issue of whether to check cholesterol in children is a controversial one. As a generalization, parents are not advised to have their child’s cholesterol checked prior to the age of two. After the age of two, pediatricians usually only suggest routine cholesterol testing in children who are at a high risk of heart disease. This would include children with parents who had heart disease at an early age or a strong overall family history of heart disease or elevated cholesterol levels. Other situations where your child’s pediatrician may recommend having your child’s cholesterol checked is if he or she has diabetes, hypertension, or is significantly overweight. If cholesterol testing is recommended, it would be done once the child reaches at least two years of age.
Why is a child’s cholesterol level not routinely checked like that of an adult? Although some pediatricians have advocated routine cholesterol testing in children, others have discouraged it due to fears that parents would too aggressively promote a low fat diet if a child’s cholesterol levels were elevated. Restricting fats excessively in children could result in nutritional problems and, potentially, growth abnormalities. Other pediatricians have advocated routine cholesterol screening since studies have shown that children with high cholesterol levels are more likely to have elevated levels as adults. Plus, studies have shown that children given a low fat, low cholesterol diet fared as well as those given a standard diet.
The bottom line? If your child is at high risk of heart disease based on family history or if your child has another risk factor for heart disease such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or obesity, talk to your child’s pediatrician about getting your child’s cholesterol checked. If your child is found to have an elevated cholesterol level on routine testing, other members of your family should be tested including teens and adults since there can be a genetic component to some cholesterol elevations.
What other measures should you take to reduce the risk of future heart disease in your child? Practicing a heart healthy lifestyle that involves the entire family is an excellent way to reinforce good health habits on and, hopefully, establish a life long habit of heart healthy eating.
