• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Cholesterol Drugs Recommended For Children As Young As 8

Posted on: Tuesday, 8 July 2008, 11:12 CDT

A respected doctors group is recommending for the first time that children as young as 8 years old be given drugs to ward off heart problems and fight cholesterol.

The guidelines, given by the American Academy of Pediatrics, are the strongest ever given on the issue.  The group also suggests wider cholesterol testing, and low-fat milk for 1-year-olds.

A member of the group's nutrition committee, Dr. Stephen Daniels, says the advice is based on new evidence showing that signs of heart disease can begin early in life. The suggestions also stem from new research showing that cholesterol drugs are not harmful for children.

Many cholesterol-fighting drugs are approved for pediatric use, and data shows that many children are now using them.

"If we are more aggressive about this in childhood, I think we can have an impact on what happens later in life ... and avoid some of these heart attacks and strokes in adulthood," Daniels said.

Treatment is generally targeted at kids who are at least 8 years old and have too much "bad" cholesterol, also known as LDL.  Other signs like obesity, and high blood pressure, are used when prescribing the drugs.

According to the academy, the first course of action in children with high LDL should always be weight loss, more physical activity, and nutritional counseling.

The academy also recommends that pediatricians routinely check the cholesterol of children with a family history of heart disease.  Testing is also suggested for children whose family heart disease history is unknown.

Testing is recommended after age 2, but is not recommended to continue routinely after age 10.

The group's earlier guidelines advised that cholesterol drugs only be considered in obese children older than 10 if they cannot lose weight.  Previous screening suggestions were less specific and did not give specific age guidelines.

The academy recommends low-fat milk for 1-year-olds "for whom overweight or obesity is a concern." This is because obesity is usually accompanied by cholesterol problems, and can be another risk factor for heart disease.

Daniels, who is a pediatrician in Denver, agreed that the milk recommendation could apply to nearly all children.  But he said pediatricians might decide to give the new milk advice only to 1-year-olds who have a family history of heart disease, or are already overweight.

Because saturated fats are necessary for brain development, the academy has long suggested against reduced-fat milk for children up to age 2.

"But now we have the obesity epidemic and people are thinking maybe this isn't such a good idea," said Dr. Frank Greer of the University of Wisconsin.

Dr. Greer is co-author of the guidelines report that appears in the July edition of the group's medical journal: Pediatrics.

Greer said the new advice is based on recent research showing that very young children are getting fats from sources other than milk, and that there are no signs of harm in children drinking reduced-fat milk.

Dr. Jennifer Li, a Duke University children's heart specialist said the new recommendations are critical because 17 percent of U.S. children are obese.

Li said, "We need to do something to stem the tide of childhood obesity."

Fifteen years ago Li said most of her patients with high cholesterol were suffering from an inherited form of cholesterol disease not connected to obesity.

She said, "But now they're really outnumbered" by overweight kids with cholesterol problems and high blood pressure.

A pediatrics professor at the University of California at San Francisco Dr. Elena Fuentes-Afflick praised the new advice but cautioned some parents may not take the findings seriously. Fuentes-Afflick said some families think their children will simply outgrow weight and cholesterol problems.

"It's hard for people to really understand" that those problems in childhood can lead to serious health consequences in adulthood, Fuentes-Afflick said.

---

On the Net:

American Academy of Pediatrics

Pediatrics

Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

More News in this Category