Early Cholesterol Screening Urged for Some Kids

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on Monday released new guidelines on cholesterol screening for children -- and treatment of high cholesterol if needed.
According to the recommendations, which appear in the medical journal Pediatrics, children and adolescents should be screened if members their family have high cholesterol or heart disease. Screening is also advised for children with an unknown family history or who have a personal history of obesity, high blood pressure, or diabetes.
Lead author Dr. Stephen R. Daniels, of The Children's Hospital in Denver, and colleagues from the AAP's Committee on Nutrition recommend that screening take place after 2 years of age but no later than 10 years.
If screening results are normal, repeat testing should be performed in 3 to 5 years, according to the guidelines.
Cholesterol-lowering agents are recommended for children over 8 years of age with high LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels. For younger kids, the focus should be on non-drug interventions, such as weight reduction, increased physical activity, and improved nutrition.
Reduced-fat dairy products should be considered for children as young as one year of age if weight issues are a concern, the report indicates.

I saw this on the news. They want to put kids on drugs who are at risk. Its ridiculolus. If parents would stop feeding their kids everything on earth this could be avoided without drugs.

I agree with you it can be prevented by giving the child nutritious meals

That is crazy that they are saying 2. I was just told at wic that children can't even make their own cholesterol until they are 2, and that I need to be giving her MORE than I am. To have high cholesterol by 2 would mean they would have to be eating junk ALL THE TIME.

If your child has high cholesterol at age 2, you should have to take a parenting class on proper child care and how to feed your child nutritious meals (unless of course it is purely genetic or something). Poor babies.