Cholesterol Screening Recommended for Children and Adolescents

One-third to nearly one-half of all children and adolescents should be tested for cholesterol levels, according to new guidelines published by the American Heart Association (AHA).

The AHA finds low levels of parental compliance with both cholesterol screening and intervention. In response, a growing number of pediatricians are utilizing lab-accurate testing equipment that allows them to conduct the screenings in their office.

The Cholestech Corp. (Hayward, CA, USA) cholesterol screening device, Cholestech LDX, is suitable for use in physicians'offices. The LDX testing system offers physicians a fast method to obtain a complete lipid profile in children and adolescents, including a patient's LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol). Results are available within five minutes following a simple finger stick.

The LDX is Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)--waived and is certified to the Cholesterol Reference Method Laboratory Network (CRMLN) standard established by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; Atlanta, GA; USA) and consistent with U.S. National Cholesterol Education Program analytic goals. The LDX has been used for lipid screening in clinical research in children as reported in at least three published studies.

According to the AHA scientific statement, physicians should conduct a full lipid profile on children and adolescents who present with a high-risk family history, including familial hypercholesterolemia, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or early heart attack and stroke. Children and adolescents who are also overweight or obese should also be screened. Physicians should continue to monitor patients as they grow, taking into consideration factors that effect cholesterol in children, such as race, gender, and puberty.


Related Links:
Cholestech Corporation
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention