U.S. Kids Have High Cholesterol Regardless of Weight

One in three preteens were found to have abnormally high levels of cholesterol, regardless of their physical weight, according to a new study conducted in Huston, Texas.

The preliminary findings of a study that will be presented at the 63rd Annual American College of Cardiology Scientific Session and Exposition this weekend has found compelling evidence that suggests that more should be done in ensuring even the diets of normal-weight children are heart-healthy.

According to an American College of Cardiology (ACC) release highlighting key findings of the study, 35 percent of normal-weight children screened in Texas were found to have abnormal cholesterol levels, indicating an unhealthy diet and/or genetic predisposition.

According to the research team behind this study, the idea for the study found form after the U.S. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) issued new heart health guidelines in 2011. These new guidelines recommended that even children between the ages of nine and 11 undergo a cholesterol screening, with a follow-up after they turn 17.

These guidelines are supposedly to help physicians detect and help patients take preemptive measures to prevent high cholesterol and risk of cardiovascular disease later in life.

Dr. Thomas Seery, the lead investigator of the study, explained in the ACC release that early cholesterol is a warning of things to come.

"Cardiovascular disease in children is rare, but we know that atherosclerosis (a hardening and narrowing of the arteries) has its beginnings in childhood," he said. "The better a job we do now, the better they will do later in life."

Nearly 13,000 children aged 9 to 11 years old were screened for abnormal cholesterol levels over the course of more than two years. Following the screenings, the researchers found that while, predictably, 41 percent of the obese children screened had abnormal levels of cholesterol, more than a third of healthy-weight children also has abnormal levels of cholesterol -- indicating incomplete diets.

Seery explained that he hopes his teams findings will push pediatricians to follow the NHLBI guidelines more closely, keeping a look-out for cholesterol abnormalities even in young children.

The results of this study are scheduled to be presented at the 63rd ACC annual meeting, in Washington D.C. between March 29 and March 30.

Until published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, it is suggested that the results of the review are to be considered preliminary findings.