Start Checking Cholesterol Early
Elevated cholesterol is a big risk factor for stroke and heart disease. With the rise in childhood obesity and related health issues, an expert says we can begin cholesterol screening much earlier to help manage this potentially dangerous condition.
Friday, July 18, 2003
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Durham, N.C. -- According to the
American Heart Association, almost half the U.S. population has
high, or borderline high, cholesterol levels. High cholesterol is
one of the leading risk factors for heart disease, stroke and other
dangerous conditions. Even more alarming is that we're seeing a
growing number of children with elevated cholesterol levels, often
accompanied by obesity and early-onset diabetes. Medical guidelines
typically recommend that cholesterol screening begin at age 18, but
many physicians, including Dr. Michael Blazing, say that's too
late.
"When you're born, typically your cholesterol should be in the 60s. By the time we get to 18, it's in the 140s, on average in the United States. I'm talking about the 'bad' cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, here."
Blazing, director of the Cardiac Outpatient Clinic at Duke University Medical Center, says diet and lifestyle changes are vital to early disease prevention, and he says it's never too early to start.
