Cholesterol levels in childhood are the best predictor of high
cholesterol levels and other risk factors for cardiovascular
disease in adulthood, say researchers from Tulane University
Health Science Center in New Orleans and Eastern Virginia
Medical School in Norfolk. Researchers examined the non-high-
density-lipoprotein (non-HDL) levels of 1,163 men and women who
participated in a 27-year heart study that began when they were
children. Non-HDL cholesterol is the difference between total
cholesterol and HDL, or "good" cholesterol. Non-HDL cholesterol
includes three types of cholesterol: triglycerides (blood fats);
low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol; and
intermediate density lipoprotein. Over the course of the study,
researchers tracked the participants' cholesterol, along with
other factors that contribute to a person's risk of developing
heart disease, including blood pressure, weight, insulin levels,
and blood sugar levels. The results? Two thirds of those with
the highest non-HDL choleste