High cholesterol is not a problem limited to adulthood. In fact, it is becoming more and more common among children. The worrying aspect of this phenomenon is that usually children with high cholesterol are more likely to have high cholesterol as adults, which puts them at higher risk for heart disease. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all children, regardless of risk or family history, have their cholesterol checked between ages 9-11.
The young age range for when children should be tested may surprise some parents, but high cholesterol is usually a silent condition. It can occur with or without the presence of obesity, diabetes, or a family history. Studies have shown that the negative effects of high cholesterol in children can appear early in life. Without screening for the general population, at-risk children actually go unnoticed. Even if your child does not have high cholesterol, which is the ideal scenario, it is helpful for your pediatrician to have a baseline comparison level before your child goes through puberty. The choice of the 9-11 age range is mainly based on the possibility of more effective intervention if an abnormality is detected in this age group than in younger children.
Early examination means early prevention
Detecting high cholesterol in childhood leads to earlier interventions aimed at preventing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (hardening of the arteries) and reversing any changes that have already taken place. Too much cholesterol can lead to plaque buildup on the walls of the arteries that carry blood to the heart and other organs. When this happens, the arteries can narrow and become blocked. The good news is that these plaques take decades to appear, but atherosclerotic changes begin in childhood. In addition, they accelerate when someone has other conditions such as dyslipidemia, obesity, hypertension and diabetes. Early prevention in children can lead to a better chance of reversing these early changes and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Establishing healthy eating and exercise habits in childhood gives children the best chance to be healthy and active adults.
How to reduce high cholesterol in children?
So what do these interventions look like? Typically in our practice, we recommend lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise, to help lower high cholesterol levels. Here are some general recommendations we give our patients for maintaining a healthy diet and lowering cholesterol:
- Read food labels carefully.
- Limit dietary fat to less than 25% of total daily calories (specifically, reduced saturated fat to less than 10% of daily calories).
- Limit cholesterol to less than 300 mg per day.
- Increase your intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
- Choose fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products.
- Be active for 60 minutes every day.
- Limit screen time to 2 hours or less per day (including gaming devices and computers).
If your pediatrician does not mention cholesterol screening for your child at the next regular visit and your child is between 9-11 years old, it is a good idea to mention it. Controlling cholesterol levels in this age range is an important step to ensure children are on the right track for a healthy heart later in life.
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