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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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High Cholesterol Risk Factors in Children

There are two broad categories of risk factors when considering high cholesterol. Some risk factors are beyond a person's control. These include:

• heredity (family history of cardiovascular disease and stroke),
• gender (males more likely to have "classic" symptoms vs. females more likely to have "nonclassic symptoms");
• postmenopausal state, and
• race (African Americans risk > American Indians > Mexican Americans > Caucasians.

Controllable risk factors or factors that an individual can influence include:

• smoking,
• elevated LDL and low HDL,
• elevated blood pressure,
• obesity,
• diabetes, and
• a high stress lifestyle.

Cholesterol Level Guidelines for Children

The National Cholesterol Education Program's (NCEP) Expert Panel on Blood Cholesterol in Children and Adolescents endorses these guidelines when measuring cholesterol levels in children. These guidelines are also supported by the major health organizations including the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Acceptable cholesterol levels for adults are different than levels recommended for children and are somewhat higher.