Is Cholesterol In Children Cause for Concern?

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The general belief is that cholesterol problem is an ‘adult thing’, so parents hardly associate cholesterol with their children.  High level of cholesterol is a  major factor contributing to heart disease and strokes.  Medical research shows coronary artery disease has its roots in childhood. In recent years, studies have also  shown a dramatic increase in child obesity and the problems associated with being overweight.  

Since the problems linked with high cholesterol generally don't show for years, connecting children’s health and cholesterol is tough to grasp for most people. This makes it super critical to focus on your child's cholesterol level, especially if there is a trait of high cholesterol in either parent.

Three major factors contribute to high cholesterol levels: A diet high in fats, particularly saturated and trans fats, which are common in baked treats and commercial snack products;  having parents or a parent with high cholesterol (hereditary factor), and obesity related to diet and lack of exercise.

If your child is active, eats healthy foods, does not have a family history of high cholesterol, and is not overweight, you probably do not have much cause for concern.

How to Monitor and Treat High Cholesterol

Health professionals recommend cholesterol screening in only those children, starting at two years old, who are at risk for having high cholesterol. Factors that would make a cholesterol screening necessary are if your child has a parent with total cholesterol higher than 240 mg/dL; has a parent or grandparent with a history of heart diseases prior to age 55; has an unknown family history; and is overweight or obese.

 

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Your child's doctor can use a simple blood test to say if your child's cholesterol is too high. According to the American Heart Association, the ranges of total cholesterol for children 2 years to 19 years old are:

Category	Total cholesterol (mg/dL)
Acceptable	Less than 170
Borderline	170-199
High	200 or greater

If the results are considered ‘acceptable,’ then your child should be screened every five years. If your child's total cholesterol is 170 or more, then your child will probably be instructed to fast for 12 hours and then repeat the test (called fasting cholesterol). If your child's initial cholesterol level is greater than 200, then your child's doctor will instruct both fasting cholesterol and a lipoprotein analysis.  These will identify your child’s HDL and LDL levels.

While the problems caused by high cholesterol can start in childhood, it remains unclear what high cholesterol level show for a child. Therefore, the recommendations focus basically on healthy eating and exercise lifestyle for everyone, but especially those who have higher cholesterol and lipoproteins. Medication is considered for children over 10 years old after changes in diet and exercise failed to give the desired effect. A child’s cholesterol levels should be retested after 3 months of dietary changes or medication.

10 Ways to Lower Your Family's Cholesterol

Here are some simple steps you can take to keep your family's cholesterol at healthy levels:

• ·         Check the cholesterol levels for you and your family.

• ·         Read nutrition labels to know the cholesterol content in the food your family eats.Health experts recommend cholesterol intake should be less than 300 milligrams a day.  Another advice is to peak total fat intake at 30% or less of total calories and saturated fat 10% or less, because these fats contain substantial amounts of cholesterol.

• ·          Eat healthy snacks such as fruits, raw vegetables, and low-fat mayonnaise and dips, plain unsalted popcorn or pretzels, potato or plantain chips, low-fat yogurt, milk or cottage cheese.

• ·         Replace some meals of red meat with poultry, fish, beans, peas, lentils, tofu, and soy products.

• ·         Stay away from butter. Use liquid vegetable oil for cooking and tub margarine for table use.

• ·         Limit intake of commercially prepared baked goods and delicacies.

• ·         Avoid soda and sugary fruit drinks because excess sugar is transformed into fats.

• ·         Pack healthy lunches and teach children to pick the healthiest items in their school cafeterias or tuck shop.

• ·         Get plenty of exercise. Go for walks as a family, go jogging or biking, or play football, basketball, or lawn tennis. Exercise helps boost HDL levels in the blood - and that is good!

• ·         Make controlling your cholesterol levels and living healthier a family affair. Children usually are not the only ones at risk, so it's important to make this a family effort. And parents who don't know their own cholesterol levels should get them checked. The strides you take to improve your family's lifestyle can have a huge effect on your health not only now, but also far into the future.

This article is not exhaustive on the issue of cholesterol in children.  If you still have concerns, you may check online publications, such as WebMD, MSN, Mayo Clinic, Harvard Health Publications, for more information on the topic or visit your family doctor.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons.