High Cholesterol in Children

Statins for children?

A group of pediatricians recommended the controversial use of cholesterol drugs from the age of 8


The advancement of obesity increases the concern about cholesterol.
One of the strongest medicine controversy concerns the massive use of drugs to fight cholesterol, called statins.


The propaganda for them is very strong in the United States. Some cardiologists even say - even in jest - that the drug should be diluted in tap water such as fluoride to fight cavities. Thus, they believe, could prevent thousands of strokes and deaths. Statins do not spring from the taps still American, but its consumers increases every day. Last week, a new group was won: children from 8 years.

The American Academy of pediatrics issued new guidelines because of the obesity epidemic that now affects 30% of American children. Excessive consumption of fat and increased cases of childhood diabetes led the organization to recommend attention to cholesterol levels.

From now on, they should be evaluated in children as young as 2 years - especially if they have cardiovascular disease cases in the family. The group suggests pediatricians to prescribe statins to patients from 8 years if they have bad cholesterol (LDL) cholesterol above 190 milligrams per deciliter of blood and some other situations (see table below).

"We are in an epidemic," said pediatrician Jatinder Bhatia, the nutrition committee of the American Academy of pediatrics. "The risk of taking statins in children is less than the benefit of treatment." Criticism was immediate.

Almost nothing is known about the benefits and effects of long-term consumption of these drugs by children. Even in adults, the benefit of statins is controversial. They really save lives of people who already have high cholesterol and infarct.


For adults who never infarct, studies show that the benefit is limited: one hundred people need to take medicine so that only one stroke is prevented.

"We do not know what adverse effects may arise in a person who takes these drugs for 40 or 50 years," says pediatric cardiologist Darshak Sanghavi, University of Massachusetts. Statins are drugs of continuous use. About 30% of adults suffer some type of side effect. The most common are muscle aches, gastrointestinal discomfort, nausea and insomnia.

Many doctors fear that statins may become the first choice in the treatment of cholesterol in children. Children and adolescents need to be treated with diet and exercise. Statins should be reserved for severe cases of genetic dyslipidemia.

Children with this anomaly in a gene related to cholesterol suffering from severe accumulation of plaque in arteries. When these patients reach age 40, about 20% already infarct. In such cases, perhaps the use of statins is beneficial since childhood. This is an exception - not the rule.

The new guidelines

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that children take cholesterol drugs in the following situations:

Bad cholesterol (LDL) cholesterol above 190 mg / dl
LDL above 160 mg / dl and more than two risk factors
LDL above 160 mg / dl and a family history of cardiovascular disease
LDL above 130 mg / dl and diabetes

See also this article on cholesterol