What are the recommendations for screening for lipid disorders in childhood?
The 2011 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Expert Panel on Integrated Guidelines recommends selective screening for lipid disorders on the basis of family history (Recommendation 1) or lifestyle- related factors (Recommendation 2), with universal pediatric lipid screening advised in recent guidelines specifically focusing on ages 9 to 11 years and then ages 17 to 21 years because TC and LDL-C levels decrease 10% to 20% during puberty. However, the long-term benefits and harms of universal screening have not been tested in RCTs.