Article by: Dr Zoe Arugay
Screening for elevated cholesterol levels would benefit everyone, at least hypothetically. We can't prove that yet because a lot of kids have been excluded in screening guidelines. But in a report published in Pediatrics, there has now been a call to screen all kids.
Yes, all.
But as with new results and supposed new guidelines, there are still certain controversies before we can actually accept such as mandatory.
Current guidelines would have kids with parents or grandparents with heart disease or high cholesterol levels to be screened for cholesterol. Another set of guidelines would not even recommend screening in any children.
Apparently, in a study conducted in West Virginia by Dr. William Neal of West Virginia University in Morgantown, 1% of all fifth-graders have cholesterol levels that warrant drug treatment with cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins. One-third of these kids do not even have a parent or grandparent with heart disease or elevated cholesterol levels.
With these results, it is just convincing to have all kids screened for cholesterol.
However, there have not been much studies on the efficacy of statins on kids. Moreso, there is no guarantee that a 10 year old kid on statins will prevent heart disease 40 years later, according to Dr. Michael L. LeFevre, a member of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a federal expert panel. He added that statin treatment in children was still controversial, and that no long-term safety data existed.
Then again, among the kids without heart disease in their family, the percentage of children who might benefit from treatment was closer to two percent than to one, meaning that family history didn't seem to make a difference.
Again, point in favor of screening all kids.
Until then, I'd say follow current guidelines and keep kids healthy with a balanced diet and the right amount of exercise. Mrs. Obama certainly supports this.
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