Luddly Neddite
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Children's Cholesterol Levels Are Too High, Study Finds - Forbes
A new study of over 12,000 children finds that about a third of them have borderline or abnormal cholesterol levels. The new research, which will be presented at the American College of Cardiologys annual meeting next week, confirms previous evidence that the heart health of our kids is in not in great shape. In fact, since childhood cardiovascular health as measured by obesity, diet, activity level, and, of course, blood fats is a strong predictor of adult cardiovascular health, we should take these studies to heart, and help our kids make healthy lifestyle changes as early as we can.
The sheer number of kids with abnormal lipid profiles provides further evidence that this is a population that needs attention and could potentially benefit from treatment, said study author Thomas Seery. But we can only intervene if we diagnose the problem.
The new study found that about 35% of all the 9- to 11-year-old children had borderline or abnormal cholesterol levels. Obese children were more likely to have unhealthy levels of all kinds of cholesterol, and 40% more likely to have borderline or high total cholesterol. Boys were more likely than girls to have abnormal levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, triglycerides, and total cholesterol, while girls were more likely to have low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.
While kids arent themselves likely to have heart attacks, having markers of heart disease in childhood is a predictor of whats to come. In fact, more and more studies are showing the link between poor heart health in childhood and heart risk in adulthood. We know that higher levels of, and cumulative exposure to, high cholesterol is associated with the development and severity of atherosclerosis, Seery said. If we can identify and work to lower cholesterol in children, we can potentially make a positive impact by stalling vascular changes and reducing the chances of future disease.