LDL, HDL, and Triglycerides

High cholesterol is a risk for many Americans. Consider these statistics:

• About 107 million American adults have total cholesterol levels of 200 or higher, which is considered borderline high-risk. That's 48 percent of the adult U.S. population.
• About 37.2 million adults in the United States have blood cholesterol levels greater than 240, which is considered high-risk.
• According to the American Heart Association, high blood cholesterol that runs in families will affect the future of an unknown (but probably large) number of children and adolescents.

Many physicians are now beginning to realize that children and adolescents are increasingly at risk for high blood cholesterol levels as a result of one or more of the following:

• Sedentary lifestyles (playing video games, watching TV instead of participating in vigorous exercise)
• High-fat junk food and fast food diets
• Obesity
• Family history of high cholesterol levels

Elevated triglyceride levels may be caused by medical conditions such as:

• Diabetes
• Hypothyroidism
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease

Dietary causes of elevated triglyceride levels may include obesity and high intakes of fat and concentrated sweets.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a division of the National Institutes of Health, recommends that cholesterol testing begin at age 2 for any child who has:

• At least one parent who has been found to have high blood cholesterol (240 milligrams or greater)
• A family history of early heart disease (before age 55 in a parent or grandparent)

The NHLBI also recommends that children and adolescents who have demonstrated risk factors, such as obesity, should have cholesterol and other lipids, including triglycerides, tested periodically by their physicians.

A simple blood test is used to check cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Your child’s doctor will be able to determine total cholesterol as well as the HDL and LDL levels.

In general, healthy levels are as follows:

• LDL: less than 130 milligrams (mg)
• HDL: greater than 45 mg (less than 35 mg puts your adolescent at higher risk for heart disease)

The NHLBI recommends the following guidelines for cholesterol levels in children and teenagers (ages 2 to 19) from families with high blood cholesterol or early heart disease:

A healthy triglyceride level is less than 150 mg.

To help lower LDL levels, help your child to:

• Avoid foods high in saturated fat, trans fat, dietary cholesterol, and excess calories
• Increase exercise
• Naintain a healthy weight

It is often possible to raise HDL by:

• Exercising for at least 20 minutes five times a week
• Maintaining a healthy body weight

You can often also manage your child’s triglyceride level with lifestyle changes involving changes in diet — particularly increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish) and eating fewer simple carbohydrates such as bread and pasta — and increased exercise.

In some cases, your child’s doctor may prescribe medication to manage cholesterol and triglyceride levels, especially when diet and exercise don’t produce the desired results.