Guidelines for Blood Lipid Levels

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The National Cholesterol Education Program’s Expert Panel on Blood Cholesterol in Children and Adolescents recommends certain guidelines for cholesterol levels in children and adolescents age two to nineteen.

According to these guidelines, total cholesterol is acceptable if it is less than 170 mg/dL. It is considered borderline if it is 170 to 199 mg/dL and high if it is 200 mg/dL or greater. LDL cholesterol should ideally be less than 110 mg/dL, with borderline levels ranging from 110 to 129 mg/dL. At levels of 130 or greater, LDL is considered high. The guidelines also recommend that HDL levels should be greater than or equal to 35 mg/dL, and that triglycerides should be less than or equal to 150 mg/dL.

American children have much higher blood cholesterol levels than children from other countries. The principle culprit is not genetics but poor nutrition, followed by lack of exercise. American kids typically eat a diet filled with fast, highly processed foods rich in saturated fats, trans­fats, and sugar.

Government treatment guidelines for children recommend lifestyle changes as the first line of therapeutic intervention. Improving eating habits, increasing physical activity, and managing weight can go a long way toward reducing elevated cholesterol levels. Certainly, these lifestyle habits are beneficial for all children, even those who are not from high­risk families.

Experts disagree about the role of cholesterol-lowering drugs for children. The American Heart Association and the federal government recommend that cholesterol-lowering drugs be recommended only for those children over ten years of age who have high LDL levels even after changes in diet. Other experts, however, remain concerned about the long-term effectiveness of drug therapy. Medical professionals uniformly recommend healthful lifestyle changes as being of paramount importance for children to enjoy good health.

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