Universal cholesterol screening for children?

As a corporate wellness company we spend our days trying to adults to participate in biometric screenings. I say adults, because a new study suggests that all children should be screened for high cholesterol. NPR recently aired a report on the study, which you can read and listen to here. Traditionally, cholesterol screening generally recommended for children with a family history of heart disease and high cholesterol. A new study found that these guidelines may miss a number of risk children .i didn’t know this before reading the piece in Time magazine, but since 2000 tonnes has offered free cholesterol screenings for all fifth graders in public schools. Researchers studied the results of their screening, and found that if the existing guidelines had followed (rather than the testing of any kind), they would have missed the 10% of the children who had elevated LDL levels. High cholesterol at a young age is a predictor of diabetes, which is why researchers are pushing for the test guidelines are subject to change. (Not all doctors agree, of course.) I think the problem simply underscores the severity of Youth health issues–obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol. No wonder that Michelle Obama has made her signature problem.

View the original article here

Tagged as: Children, Cholesterol, screening, Universal