Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death among the Americans. Though rarely seen in childhood, the risk factors of atherosclerosis usually begin in this age. It has been seen that addressing these risk factors at an early stage, may halt or delay the progression of atherosclerosis. Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, former director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) along with her colleagues, have worked to establish a set of cardiovascular health guidelines for the pediatric care providers. The aim of these guidelines is to establish uniformity in dealing with all the major cardiovascular risk factors.
One of the important new guideline recommends screening of all children between the ages of 9 to 11 for high cholesterol. Earlier, only those children were screened for high cholesterol, who had a family history of heart disease or high cholesterol. The new guidelines also recommend a second screening for high cholesterol when the child is 17 to 21 years old. Early screening is recommended as it is easy to convince the child and his parents to follow a healthy lifestyle in case the child has been detected with high cholesterol.
Earlier studies pertaining to heart diseases and stroke have established the fact that atherosclerosis and other such diseases begin when the child is young and progress as the child gets older. The guidelines recommend breast feeding, a diet low in saturated fatty acids, regular physical activity and a tobacco free atmosphere for a better cardiac health. One percent children, who suffer from a genetic problem which interferes with the cholesterol metabolism, may require cholesterol lowering medicines.
It is the duty of the pediatric health care providers to identify the children who are at an increased risk of developing cardio vascular diseases by checking their blood cholesterol levels and then to encourage them to change their life style from sedentary to active and follow a healthy diet plan. Taking these steps early can reduce the incidence of clinical atherosclerosis at a later date.
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