Cholesterol Tests Urged for More Kids

Current guidelines for cholesterol screening in children may miss many problems, a new study finds. The study used records for more than 20,000 West Virginia children. They had been tested as part of a heart disease prevention project in the state. The project tested all children in fifth grade. About 71% met standard guidelines to get cholesterol tests. They had parents or grandparents with early heart disease, or parents with total cholesterol levels above 240 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) of blood. Tests found that about 8.3% of these children had abnormal LDL (“bad cholesterol”), above 130 mg/dL. Researchers also looked at results for children who did not meet guidelines for testing. They actually had more problems than the other group. About 9.5% had high LDL. The authors said current guidelines should be changed. They said all children should be tested.