How to Lower Cholesterol - Heart Disease, Cholesterol & Children
Meng
The sad fact today is there is a rising trend of children with cholesterol problem, we may not like it, but we have to face this fact. According to some studies, many children are considered in the group of high risk premature coronary heart disease and some of them are suffering from high cholesterol at a much younger age then before. As a guide, health care professional do not check children?s cholesterol levels routinely.
Cholesterol build up in the arteries can lead to either heart attack, stroke or both, depending on where the arteries are in the body. The American Heart Association states that there is research finding to support cholesterol buildup starts in early childhood.
The perfect time to introduce and intervene with healthy life style changes are childhood. These will provide healthier habits for the rest of their life.
The children most at risk are those who are overweight and/or have a family history of high cholesterol or heart disease.
"Elevated cholesterol levels early in life may play a role in the development of adult atherosclerosis and that lowering levels in children and adolescents may be beneficial" is where the American Heart Association stands on this subject.
The dietary cholesterol that kids absorb are from food such as red meat, egg yolks, seafood, and full fat dairy products that include milk, cheese and ice cream.
There are contributing factors when it comes to kids and cholesterol risk:
If their diet contain lots of fats, especially so for saturated fats. Example are baked products and snacks.
- If they have a family history of low good cholesterol or high bad cholesterol.
Kids who are obese by medical standards and who lack adequate amounts of active exercise
Kids / Teens who have high blood pressure, insulin dependent diabetes or if they smokes.
Should you have a child that is active, has a healthy diet that doesn?t consist of eating an abundance of baked goods or snack items, and does not have a parental history of risky cholesterol levels and is not overweight; than you have little to worry about regarding cholesterol levels and early heart disease.
Children 2 years and older should be screen for blood cholesterol level if they are exposed to any of the known risk for cholesterol or heart disease. These are:
Has at least one parent with a total cholesterol blood level of 240 mg/dL or higher
Has a parent or grandparent who has heart disease before 55.
If there is any family history that is "unknown"
The child is overweight or is clinically obese
A simple blood test will tell your child?s cholesterol level. At age 2-9, the acceptable level are less 170mg/dL. 170-199 mg/dL are considered borderline and high level are those that are above 200 mg/dL.
I written a book on how I lower my cholesterol level from 301 level to normal level in 60 days. This is done without any medications. The book is "How to Lower Cholesterol Naturally". You can buy it at my site
http://www.how-to-lower-cholesterol.com/ How to Lower Cholesterol Naturally
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