Cholesterol tests are well established as an important part of cardiovascular health screening in adults. For children and adolescents, however, it is another story: few have cholesterol levels routinely examined, either due to lack of information from parents, or because doctors themselves do not have a habit of asking for this exam.
A study from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) published in 2023 in the journal Archives of Endocrinology and Metabolism reveals that 24.4% of children and adolescents in Brazil have changes in total cholesterol levels; and 19.2% have high rates of LDL cholesterol, considered bad for health risks.
The high dosage of this lipoprotein in the blood leads to the slow and progressive accumulation of fat in the arteries, causing atherosclerotic disease, the main cause of infarction and strokes (strokes), which can lead to death or leave sequelae.
At what age, then, should you begin to monitor children’s cholesterol? According to the pediatric cardiologist and fetal echocardiography Mirna de Sousa, from Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in Goiania, cholesterol should be dosed in children from 2 to 8 years old, whose parents or grandparents have some risk history, such as infarction, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, hypercolesterolemia (total cholesterol above 240mg/DL control) or other cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, passive smoking and obesity, for example).
In the age group from 9 to 12 years, the exam should be done in all children, regardless of family history. Already between 12 and 16 years, the sorting of cholesterol is again according to the cases in the family or the emergence of a new risk factor. From 17 to 21 years, it is recommended that everyone will do at least one cholesterol screening and, if the levels are changed, the exam should be repeated every six months until it returns to normal.
For children under 2, there is no screening indication. “In childhood, the elevation of cholesterol is absolutely asymptomatic, but the injury of the arteries begins very early. That is why the importance of diagnosis at the beginning, so that parents can start lifestyle change measures, as it is in childhood that habits are established for a lifetime. There is no better time for this type of intervention, ”says Sousa.
A GLOBAL PROBLEM
A study published in July 2024 in the Jama Network Open He found that in the United States, only 11% of 9- to 21 -year -olds are tracked with routine exams, although guidelines recommend checking cholesterol levels once 9 to 11 years and again between 17 and 21 years.
More early screenings, from 2 years, are suitable for people with a family history of heart disease or very high cholesterol. The survey points out that, among those examined, 30% had one or more abnormal test results of lipid levels, with the highest prevalence among those with obesity.
Lipid measurements were defined as abnormal if one or more of these results were identified: total cholesterol (≥ 200 mg/dL); Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (≥ 130 mg/dL); Very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (≥ 31 mg/dL); Non -high density lipoprotein cholesterol (≥ 145 mg/dL) and triglycerides (≥ 100 mg/dL for 9 -year -olds or ≥ 130 mg/dL for patients aged 10 to 21).
“These numbers are very worrying. The results of this study reinforce the need to create more effective screening and intervention measures, public policy and population range measures, ”says the pediatric cardiologist.
In Sousa’s view, we currently live a “cardiovascular disease pandemic”, the beginning of which can take place in childhood. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular disease kill almost 18 million people a year worldwide. “It is essential to invest in prevention, because no isolated therapeutic measure has to date has impact on reducing mortality,” warns Einstein expert.
Do you have treatment?
From the diagnosis of cholesterol changes, the first recommendation is not to medicate. The ideal is to bet on lifestyle changes, especially in the practice of regular physical activity and adaptations in the diet. Also, depending on the case, it may be that other diseases are leading to dyslipidemia, such as diabetes or kidney problems, and in such cases you need to use specific medications.
“Importantly, unlike adults, the use of medications depends on the age group. Older children can be treated as adults, but the doctor should always be consulted to particularize treatment, ”warns Mirna de Sousa.
In the doctor’s assessment, quality information must be prioritized, with awareness campaigns and the involvement of schools and society itself. “It is no use just to disclose that a healthy lifestyle prevents this type of disease. We need to stimulate and enable this lifestyle, ”he suggests.
In the school environment, it is important that there are physical activities and food education. In public spaces, parks and squares can be ways to facilitate access to exercise. And the doctor also defends economic measures. “Healthy foods should have affordable prices and ultra -processed ones should be taxed and more expensive to discourage their consumption, as with cigarettes and alcohol,” proposes Sousa.
Was this content originally published in what age children and adolescents should cholesterol dose? on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
I am an experienced journalist and writer with a career in the news industry. My focus is on covering Top News stories for World Stock Market, where I provide comprehensive analysis and commentary on markets around the world. I have expertise in writing both long-form articles and shorter pieces that deliver timely, relevant updates to readers.
