High Cholesterol in kids- any BDDT?

[mmsmom]

According to my ped the AAP issued new guidelines last summer recommending cholesterol checks starting at age 10. So DS had a test at his 10 year well visit which was high. It was a finger prick screening so he then had a fasting blood test. The numbers that came back were: 223 overall (ideal range 100-169); LDL 115 (good range 0-109); HDL 95 (good range less than 39). The nurse that called with the results said not to be overly concerned- to do the best we could with diet and they would recheck in a year. I do suspect there is a genetic aspect to these numbers as my Dad had high cholesterol despite eating a very strict diet for years.

So we already eat fairly healthy and minimal processed food. The nurse said switching to skim milk could make a big impact but DS does not drink milk. I use 2% in recipes but not enough I feel to make a difference (I buy 1/2 gallon every 2 weeks). I am not willing to switch to fake butter- would rather use less of the real stuff. We do eat a lot of eggs but the effect of eggs on cholesterol seems to not be settled.

I know we can cut back on some fatty meats (he likes salami, pepperoni, etc). We can cut back on cheese. But I'm just not sure what else I should do. The goal is 300mg of cholesterol/day and from my calculations I think he is already under that. He is also very active, plays sports, etc.

[MSWR0319]

I've had to do this with my boys twice. They always fail the prick test and then the blood work comes back high and I get lectured about their eating habits and weight by the phone nurse who clearly didn't look at their chart because they are both under 50% for weight. We eat healthy very healthy because we have food allergies so most of the food is fresh. Both times the bloodwork recheck has come back normal. I think oatmeal is supposed to help with cholesterol. Maybe try that?

[jent]

Ask your ped if you can get a nutrition referral- they should be able to give specific dietary advice and will assess your DS's usual diet and where to make changes. One thing to note is that the focus is more on cutting back saturated fat intake rather than cholesterol intake. Increasing monounsaturated/polyunsat fat intake and increasing dietary fiber intake.

Also I just thought I'd point out that HDL is known as the "good" cholesterol, it's the one you actually want to be high rather than low. So your DS's HDL cholesterol is in the good range. Important to note that even though the total cholesterol is much higher than the ideal range, part of that is the HDL and the LDL (which is a better predictor of heart disease than total chol) is only mildly elevated.

[MaiseyDog]

I treat cholesterol disorders on a daily basis and wouldn't get too worked up if my kids had those kind of numbers. You are right, it is likely a genetic issues that is at play here. Cholesterol continues to rise generally through the teen years and into adulthood so diet and exercise will be important in the long run. You want to focus on setting up good habits now that will benefit DS in then years to come. I'd focus on limiting saturated fats and stressing the importance of regularly occurring cardiovascular exercise. Full fat dairy is high in saturated fat and is generally a place where change is recommended. I would also focus on limiting red meat and choosing lean cuts when you do have beef. Working with a dietitian can be helpful in identifying changes that can be made and giving ideas of how to continue to meet other dietary requirements for growing kids.