The American Academy of Pediatrics is set to revise a 10 year old policy on cholesterol screening in children. This issue is especially pressing because 30% of American children are now considered to be obese, which puts them at a much greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases when they are older. The new recommendations propose children be screened for cholesterol beginning at 2 years of age (and no later than 10 years of age) if they have risk factors such as a family history of high cholesterol or early heart attacks. In addition, it’s recommended that overweight infants and babies be given low fat milk after their first twelve months of age. The AAP still recommends diet changes and exercise as the first priority in overweight children. As well, they are recommending the use of medication in children with especially high cholesterol levels beginning at the age of 8. Full story.
July 7, 2008
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Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.