1 in 3 Children Living in Texas have High Cholesterol

Statistics from the nation's largest pediatric primary care organization in Texas have shown that roughly one in every three children living in the area between the ages of nine and 11 has borderline or high cholesterol levels.

For the study, researchers examined medical data on 12,712 children who were a part of the Texas Children's Pediatrics Associates clinics. They routinely screen the children's cholesterol levels and found that 4,709 children in the age group of nine to 11 had cholesterol levels that were too high for their age.

"The sheer number of kids with abnormal lipid profiles provides further evidence that this is a population that needs attention and could potentially benefit from treatment," said lead investigator, Thomas Seery, M.D., pediatric cardiologist at Texas Children's Hospital, assistant professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, via a press release. "But we can only intervene if we diagnose the problem."

Findings also showed that boys were more likely than girls to have cholesterol issues. More specifically, the study showed high cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is often known as the bad cholesterol, and triglycerides. Girls typically had lower levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or good cholesterol. Obese children in general were also more likely to have elevated total cholesterol, increasing their risk for heart disease and other health-related issues.

"Kids need to have their cholesterol panel checked at some point during this timeframe [9 to 11 years old]," Seery said, via the release. "In doing so, it presents the perfect opportunity for clinicians and parents to discuss the importance of healthy lifestyle choices on cardiovascular health. Our findings give a compelling reason to screen all kids' blood cholesterol."

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More information regarding the findings were presented at the American College of Cardiology's 63rd Annual Scientific Session.