Universal screening of cholesterol in children

Atherosclerosis begins in childhood, and these early lesions are related to cardiovascular risk factors, including non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Genetic disorders of lipid metabolism, principally familial hypercholesterolemia, have a high frequency in the population (about 1:300-1:500), and cause cardiovascular morbidity beginning in the third decade of life. The current obesity epidemic in children has worsened cardiovascular risk status. Cardiovascular risk factors present in youth often track into adulthood and are more predictive of future subclinical atherosclerosis than risk factors measured in young adulthood. Further, modification of risk factors beginning in childhood and young adulthood can lead to restoration to normal or improvement in measures of subclinical atherosclerosis measures both in those with genetic dyslipidemias and those with dyslipidemia secondary to obesity. Prior recommended selective lipid screening strategies based on family history or presence of other cardiovascular risk factors have failed to capture many with genetic dyslipidemia. Medium-term clinical trials of statin therapy for inherited dyslipidemias are safe and effective in lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Cholesterol screening in childhood is necessary to prevent cardiovascular morbidity in those with genetic dyslipidemias and to increase awareness of the need for behavioral intervention in those with multiple cardiovascular risk factors, often a result of the obesity epidemic. Peter O. Kwiterovich, MD has received a research grants from Pfizer and is on the advisory board at Merck. The authors have no other funding, financial relationships, or conflicts of interest to disclose.