The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends (AAP) Screening all children between the ages of 9 and 11 for high cholesterol levels due to the epidemic of childhood obesity, according to the report published on the website ” healthychildren“.
The AAP recommends cholesterol testing for the following groups of children:
1- Those whose parents or grandparents had a heart attack or were diagnosed with clogged arteries or a disease affecting the blood vessels, such as stroke, at age 55 or earlier in men, or age 65 or earlier in women.
2- Those whose parents or grandparents had total cholesterol levels of 240 mg/dL or higher.
3- Those whose family health background is not known, or those who have characteristics associated with heart disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking or obesity.
4- The child may have high cholesterol in the blood for several reasons such as obesity, diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease or hypothyroidism. If the initial test shows high cholesterol, the pediatrician will check your child’s blood again after at least two weeks to confirm The results, if it is still elevated, the doctor will also determine if your child has an underlying condition.
5- She indicated AAP There is evidence that children with cholesterol problems become adults with high cholesterol, so it is important to monitor the ratio in children who may be at greater risk of high cholesterol..