Watching a child or a teen’s diet can be very tricky nowadays. Children will typically eat anything that has tons of sugar in it — if not under your watchful eye, then perhaps at school or a friend's house. Teenagers are also picky about what they eat, and sometimes too moody to even eat at all.
However, it is still a parent’s responsibility to make sure that their child is eating healthy, because otherwise, a number of health problems may occur, both in the shorter and longer term. And cholesterol is just one of those problems.
Causes of high cholesterol in children and teens
While many high cholesterol risk factors can be kept under control, familial hypercholesterolemia isn’t one of them. This condition is a genetic defect that’s passed on from parents to their children, and one that causes bad cholesterol levels to be inherently high in the blood. Basically, people with familial hypercholesterolemia are born with high cholesterol levels, and while the condition cannot be treated entirely, it can be managed and kept under control.
The implications of having familial hypercholesterolemia are pretty much the same as with regular high cholesterol levels. When cholesterol gets out of control, it can lead to plaque formation on the artery walls, but having high cholesterol levels also exposes children and adults who suffer from familial hypercholesterolemia to the risk of coronary heart disease.
Studies have revealed that males are more likely to develop heart disease faster than women are. Naturally, the risks involved with having familial hypercholesterolemia depend on a series of other factors as well.
Children and teens who have familial hypercholesterolemia can inherit it from one or both parents, and there are specific tests which can be performed in the early stages of life to identify the presence of this mutated gene.
Diagnosis of high cholesterol in children and teens
Babies can be tested for their cholesterol levels while they are still in the womb. Doctors will choose to test them if the parents have a history of heart disease or high cholesterol issues. Otherwise, a child or a teenager goes through the same high cholesterol testing process as an adult would.
A test called a lipid panel is used to diagnose high cholesterol. For a lipid panel, a technician will extract a sample of blood to analyze the four main points of concern with regards to cholesterol: total cholesterol HDL, LDL, and triglycerides.
- Total cholesterol is calculated as the sum of HDL (so-called "good") and LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels, plus another 20 percent of the total triglycerides.
- HDL is also known as good cholesterol, and its main responsibility is to transport fat from the blood into the liver, so that it can be eliminated from the bloodstream. The higher a person's HDL levels, the better.
- LDL is known as bad cholesterol, and it’s the kind of cholesterol that will stick to the artery walls, forming plaques that can lead to complications such as the formation of blood clots, hypertension, and heart disease. You want LDL levels to be low.
- Triglycerides are a type of fat which is a result of excess calories that the body is unable to burn.
In general, adults should have a total cholesterol level that lower than 200 mg/dL, but for children and teens, the intervals are a bit different:
- The total cholesterol levels should not exceed 170 mg/dL.
- LDL cholesterol should be less than 100 mg/dL.
- Healthy HDL levels should be above 45 mg/dL.
Treatment of high cholesterol in children and teens
Regardless of whether the doctor prescribes medication for high cholesterol or not, keeping these fats under control has to be done through a healthy diet and more physical exercise.
A healthy diet for people with high cholesterol levels, and in general, implies avoiding pretty much every type of food that adults with high cholesterol levels should avoid as well, which includes trans fats, red meat, fatty meat, foods that are rich in cholesterol, sugar, alcohol, smoking, fat dairy, and the likes.
Mediterranean diets are considered to be the optimal choice for both children and adults with hypercholesterolemia, focusing mainly on consuming healthy oils (such as olive oil), lots of fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and fish.
Integrating exercise into the routine of a child who has high cholesterol levels is mandatory, as regular physical activity goes a long way toward keeping the child's body healthy. Exercise can also help with weight loss, which is important because obesity has now become a widely-spread phenomenon among children in Northern America.
Statin medications for high cholesterol
Statins are a type of drug that’s usually prescribed for adults with very high cholesterol levels. However, it’s important for parents to know what the current research status is as far as giving statins to children and teens is concerned.
In order to help treat young people who have high cholesterol levels, the American Academy of Pediatrics has made modifications to its guidelines as far as this condition is concerned, allowing doctors to prescribe statins such as simvastatin, rosuvastatin, pravastatin, lovastatin, fluvastatin, and atorvastatin to youngsters.
Sadly, there are no long-term studies or evidence that could suggest just how the use of statins impacts hormone levels or if taking statins has any impact on the central nervous system. The research that was conducted was only able to reveal what happens to children with inherited high cholesterol leves, while the effects of prescription statin medications on children with high cholesterol should be studied in much more depth.
Conclusion
If your child has high cholesterol, knowing about it is key — only after they receive a diagnosis can you and your child take the proper steps to manage their cholesterol and ultimately, hopefully, bring it down to healthy levels.
- Photo courtesy of SteadyHealth
Your thoughts on this