The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released new guidelines yesterday stating that children eight years and older can be given cholesterol drugs after a screening from their pediatrician to help fight heart disease. Most people do not relate cholesterol drugs with children, since most of the drugs’ demographic are over the age of 40. But children can have high cholesterol too, even if they aren’t obese. Children that have a genetic history of high cholesterol or heart disease are good candidates for the use of cholesterol-lowering drugs. AAP recommends screening children between the ages of two and ten if there is an unknown genetic history of both parents and especially if the child is obese. AAP estimates that 30% to 60% of children with high cholesterol are being missed under current screening guidelines.
The cholesterol drug category known as statins (or HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) reduces the level of cholesterol in the liver by obstructing the enzyme that is responsible for making cholesterol. Statins like Lipitor and Mevacor are available, but they may cause side effects such as headaches, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, rash, and muscle pain. More serious, but rare, effects include liver failure and rhabdomyolysis—muscle pain that can turn into loss of muscle cells and kidney failure (and even death).
But according to the Lipitor Web site , its use has not been tested in children under 10. Mevacor states a recommended dosage for children between the ages of ten and 17, but it also has not been tested for children under ten. Jatinder Bhatia, a member of AAP’s nutrition committee, has admitted that there has not been much research to support how safe the drugs are for children under ten, so the question still remains whether the drugs are completely safe for younger children.
Even if the answer may not be clear right now, screening the child for high cholesterol at an early age can be beneficial. Most parents believe that high cholesterol can pass as the children get older, but, on the contrary, it can increase with age. Using a cholesterol-lowering drug at an early age can prevent heart attacks, just as long as the drug risks are not too high and they do not cause other problems for the child. Until the public knows for sure how safe these drugs are for children, physical activity and healthy food are still the best options for lowering cholesterol.
