Heart Disease Risk Factors for Children and Teenagers
Cholesterol
Less than 15% of children have High cholesterol levels, but studies have shown that fatty plaque buildup begins in childhood and progresses slowly into adulthood. This disease process is called atherosclerosis. In time, atherosclerosis leads to heart disease, which is the single biggest cause of death in the United States.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance called a lipid that is found in all body cells. The liver makes all of the cholesterol your body needs to form cell membranes and to make certain hormones. Extra cholesterol enters the body when you eat foods that come from animals, like meats, eggs, and dairy products.
Although we often blame the cholesterol found in foods that we eat for raising blood cholesterol, the main culprit is the saturated fat in our food. Foods rich in saturated fat include butter fat in milk products, fat from red meat, and tropical oils such as coconut oil.
Cholesterol travels to cells through the bloodstream in special carriers called lipoproteins. Two of the most important lipoproteins are low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Doctors look at how LDL, HDL, and fats called triglycerides relate to each other and to your total cholesterol level.
Low-density Lipoprotein
LDL particles deliver cholesterol to the body’s cells. LDL cholesterol is often called “bad cholesterol” because high levels are thought to lead to heart disease and diseases of the blood vessels. Too much LDL in the blood causes fatty plaque to form on artery walls, which starts the disease process atherosclerosis. When plaque builds up in the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart, there is a greater risk of having a heart attack.
LDL levels may be high if you eat a diet with a lot of saturated fat, cholesterol, or both. Sometimes, an underactive thyroid (called hypothyroidism) may also increase LDL levels.
High-density Lipoprotein
HDL particles carry cholesterol from the body’s cells back to the liver, where it can be removed from the body. HDL is known as “good cholesterol” because high levels are thought to lower the risk of heart disease. Low HDL is often the result of physical inactivity, obesity, or smoking.
Triglycerides
High Cholesterol Levels in Teens
Healthy cholesterol levels do not vary between teen boys and girls. Your son’s doctor takes three cholesterol types into consideration. His LDL, or bad cholesterol, contributes to plaque buildup, and should be low. His HDL, or good cholesterol, helps clear excess LDL from his blood, and should be high. Your son’s total cholesterol measures all cholesterol in his blood, both good and bad. Your teen is at risk for heart disease if his LDL is 130 mg/dL or greater, his HDL is 35 mg/dL or less and his total is 200 mg/dL or more, according to Children’s Hospital Boston. These levels pertain to children between the ages of 2 and 19.
The Balancing Act
Teen boys between the ages of 11 and 14 require approximately 2,500 calories per day, while boys between 15 and 18 require 2,800 calories. Knowing this is crucial, as you base your son’s diet on his daily caloric intake. MassGeneral Hospital for Children explains saturated fats should not comprise more than 10 percent of your teen’s daily calories. Examples of saturated fats include red meat, vegetable oil, butter, sour cream and cream cheese. No more than 10 percent of calories should come from healthy polyunsaturated fats such as walnuts, salad dressings, mayonnaise, sunflower or flaxseeds, and corn or sunflower oil. Limit his intake of cholesterol to 300 mg per day and increase his intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. If necessary, seek nutritional counseling to ensure you meet your son’s nutritional needs while adjusting his diet to lower his cholesterol.
Triglycerides are fats that provide energy for the muscles. Like cholesterol, they are delivered to the body’s cells by lipoproteins in the blood. Eating foods with a lot of saturated fat or carbohydrates will raise triglyceride levels. Elevated levels are thought to lead to a greater risk of heart disease, but scientists do not agree that high triglycerides alone are a risk factor for heart disease.
What causes High cholesterol in children and teenagers?
In some cases, High cholesterol runs in families. This is called familial hypercholesterolemia. About 1% to 2% of children have this condition, and they should have their cholesterol levels checked before they are 5 years old.
Other risk factors for High cholesterol include obesity, high blood pressure, and smoking. Unless your child has any of these risk factors, most children and teenagers do not need to have their cholesterol levels checked until age 20.
How is High cholesterol prevented or treated?
To reduce the risk of fatty buildup in the arteries, your child should
Get plenty of exercise. Encourage them to exercise 30 to 60 minutes on most days of the week.
Texas Heart Institute Heart Information Center. Have your child eat more breads, pasta, cereals, and fresh fruits and vegetables. (Note: You should not restrict how much fat children eat if they are younger than two years old. Infants need fat for growth and development. After the age of two, children should start to eat fewer calories from fat.)
Know the dangers of cigarette smoking.
Learn to control weight, diabetes, or high blood pressure, if the child has any of these conditions.
Children who have been diagnosed with High cholesterol will need to at least follow a special program of diet and exercise. If 1 year of diet and exercise therapy does not lower their cholesterol, cholesterol-lowering medicines may be prescribed. Children who have High cholesterol and other risk factors for heart disease may also need to take these medicines.
###
Texas Heart Institute Heart Information Center