Cholesterol Lowering Drugs For High-Risk Kids As Young As 8 Years: AAP

Based on strong evidence that confirms early start of damaging cardiovascular activity in life, the American Academy of Pediatrics in its latest guidelines recommends considering the cholesterol-lowering statin therapy for certain high-risk children as young as 8 years.

Meanwhile, worried about the long-term health consequences associated with widespread use of the drugs among children, the agency’s guidelines have been sharply criticized by many pediatricians and parents alike.

Clarifying that the agency guidelines have been largely misunderstood, Dr. Stephen Daniels, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ nutrition committee said, “I don’t see this as a major groundswell for the indiscriminate use of lipid-lowering drugs. That’s exactly why we need these guidelines, to say where the limits of that usage should be.”

"The guidelines target the small percentage of children with genetic cholesterol problems or those with several worrisome risk factors, like obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes," Daniels emphasized.

The new guidelines recommend cholesterol screening for kids aged between 2 to 10 years who have a family history of abnormal lipid profile or if either of their biological relatives had cardiovascular disease before age of 55 for men and 65 for women.

Moreover, children with body mass indexdefine higher than the 85th percentile should also be screened for cholesterol levels.

Further recommendations include introducing low-fat milk instead of whole milk to infants as young as 12 months who are expected to be in the high-risk strata because of family history.

Once screening results are out, children who record low on the 'good cholesterol' or HDL must indulge in physical exercise for at an hour a day primarily focusing on shedding extra pounds. Improving dietary intake should also be of prime importance.

Contrary, children as young as 8 years who report high levels of 'bad cholesterol' or LDL along with family history and other health conditions such as obesity and high blood pressure should be put on cholesterol-lowering statin therapy, the new guidelines recommend.

Gauging the obesity epidemic underway in the United States, the adult obesity rates have doubled in the last three decades, while the incidence of overweight children has almost tripled, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

Overweight or obsess people are at a higher risk for developing medical problems like stroke, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, insulindefine resistance, type 2 diabetesdefine bone and joint problem and sleep disorders. And being overweight in childhood can lead to manifold magnification of these problems as they grow up.

Meanwhile, though approved for use in children with genetic cholesterol disorders, little data is available on their long-term use. Five statin drugs are currently being marketed namely, Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Pravachol, Pfizer’s Lipitor, Merck’s Zocor and Mevacor, and Novartis’s Lescol .