Are High Blood Cholesterol Levels in Children a Matter of Concern?
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommended in July 2002 that children should have their blood cholesterol levels checked at about the age of five years (1). Reasons given for this did not include any evidence directly connecting childrens cholesterol levels with any morbidity or mortality. The recommendation was accompanied by a set of dietary guidelines which included a recommendation that less than 300 mg of cholesterol should be consumed per day. The bizarre nature of this latter recommendation may be inferred from the fact that, not only is there no evidence that dietary cholesterol is harmful to children, but a recent study (2) demonstrated apparent benefits from addition of egg yolks to the weaning diet of infants. In its discussion, the AHA refers to the United States National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) as a source for the recommendation that attempts be made to lower blood cholesterol levels in children.
