Familial Hypercholesterolemia: The Reason to Screen Children for Cholesterol Abnormalities

It is now well established that atherosclerosis begins in childhood and is progressive through adolescence and young adulthood, ultimately resulting in myocardial infarction and stroke in adults.1,2 It is also clear that the well-known risk factors for cardiovascular disease in adults, such as diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, are important in children and adolescents.3 The key issue with dyslipidemia appears to be elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-C, which is clearly involved in the development and evolution of atherosclerotic plaque in arteries.
Source: The Journal of Pediatrics - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Editorial Source Type: research