Should Kids Be Screened for High Cholesterol? Should you or
shouldn't you? That's the big question when it comes to
cholesterol screening for children and adolescents, and the
answer seems far from clear. In 2007, the United States
Preventive Task Force (USPTF), an independent panel of experts,
established screening guidelines for lipid abnormalities in
children. After reviewing the research, the task force concluded
that the evidence was insufficient to recommend for or against
routine screening for lipid disorders in infants, children,
adolescents, and young adults up to age 20. Dyslipidemia
(abnormal lipoproteins) is strongly associated with a risk of
cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Some experts believe that
by identifying and beginning lipid-lowering interventions in
certain populations, we cardiovascular disease events can be
prevented. However, the USPTF said the cardiovascular health
risk attributable to dyslipidemia during childhood is unknown.
Furthermore, the National Cholesterol Program only r