The case against 'the case against childhood cholesterol screening'

The safety and effectiveness of screening cholesterol levels in children and treating those with high blood levels of cholesterol have been questioned. It was recently concluded by some researchers that many children found to have elevated cholesterol levels will not have high levels when they are adults. The authors believe that the data and reasoning behind this conclusion are erroneous. In one study, the methods used to determine sensitivity (those who actually had high cholesterol levels) were biased. Using a different cut-off point could have led to a different conclusion, and shown a more significant correlation with high cholesterol levels in adulthood. In this study, the cholesterol levels of the children were actually higher than those reported in other studies. These measurements were used as baselines and could alter the interpretation of adult cholesterol levels. Other studies have shown that cholesterol levels change with age, while this study did not show a change. The possibility that the diets of children with high levels of cholesterol were altered and may have affected adults levels was not taken into consideration, although concern about undernutrition with low-fat diets was discussed. Another study concluded that to reduce high cholesterol levels in children, treatment methods must be more effective than those used in adults. However, the authors feel that all methods of reduction are significant, regardless of patient age. It is felt that early screening and prevention of high levels of cholesterol are beneficial; recent studies that come to different conclusions have flaws in their data, reasoning and conclusions. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)