Lowering High Cholesterol in Children

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Medical Author:

John Mersch, MD, FAAP

John Mersch, MD, FAAP

Dr. Mersch received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, San Diego, and prior to entering the University Of Southern California School Of Medicine, was a graduate student (attaining PhD candidate status) in Experimental Pathology at USC. He attended internship and residency at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

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Medical Editor:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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• Lowering High Cholesterol in Children Overview
• What Is Cholesterol?
• High Cholesterol Symptoms in Children
• High Cholesterol Risk Factors in Children
• Cholesterol Level Guidelines for Children
• Screening Children for High Cholesterol
• High Cholesterol Treatment in Children
• Dietary Guidelines for Lowering Cholesterol in Children
• Tips for Heart-Healthy Eating and Exercise for Children
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors

High Cholesterol and Children Overview

High cholesterol is a risk factor for coronary heart disease in adults, but some children may be at risk for premature coronary heart disease if they have high cholesterol levels earlier in life. Most parents don't know their children's risks, and health care professionals often don't test children's cholesterol levels.

According to the American Heart Association, there is sound research that the process of cholesterol buildup in arteries begins in childhood. Childhood may be the time to intervene with lifestyle changes that include sound diet and plenty of exercise, especially for children determined to be at high risk.

What Is Cholesterol?

The body produces cholesterol in the liver and makes what it needs. Additional cholesterol is added from foods, such as egg yolks, dairy products that are not fat free (such as ice cream), and red meat.

A certain amount of cholesterol is important for a child's body to function. Cholesterol helps build cell walls in all tissues and forms hormones. Too much cholesterol in the blood can build up in the walls of the coronary artery feeding blood to the heart muscle, and can lead to blockage and eventual heart disease or heart attack as an adult.

Cholesterol and triglycerides (fats carried in the blood that partially come from foods) are carried in the bloodstream by lipoproteins. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL) make up most of a person's cholesterol. This is what is measured when a cholesterol blood test is performed.

• If a person has too high a level of low-density lipoproteins (LDL, the bad kind) in the blood, it can build up in the walls of the arteries and cause a blockage leading to heart attack or stroke. LDL cholesterol numbers need to be low.
• The HDL (the good kind) lipoprotein can carry cholesterol out of the arteries. HDL cholesterol numbers need to be high.

For some children, it's important to know the levels of the lipoproteins and overall cholesterol level to adjust diet and slow the progress of any build up in arteries early.