Little Johnny Needs A Statin
February 18, 2009 by JD
Filed under Health, Information, Rants
The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that children’s cholesterol levels be evaluated for potential early warning signs of heart disease. In some instances, they maintain, prescribing statin drugs to kids with high levels of cholesterol would be warranted and even recommended.
A followup study by the CDC has found that approximately .8% of teens aged 12 to 17 are likely candidates for drug regimens designed to deal with high levels of LDL, the “bad” cholesterol. The study, published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation, maintains that, based on a population of 25 million kids in the targeted age group, approximately 200,000 teens are in danger of developing early heart disorders and would potentially benefit from the use of cholesterol management drugs. Candidate kids in the sampling that the study was based on were selected based not only on LDL levels, but also on other risk factors including weight and family history.
This is disturbing on a number of levels.
One, studies have shown that effective lifestyle regimens, including a healthy diet and regular exercise, can reduce the production of LDL cholesterol in the body. Good habits, started early enough, would presumably substantially reduce the build up of plaque that high levels of bad cholesterol can cause over time. In simple terms, be concerned parents and don’t allow pizza and french fries to be staple foods. And get the kid off the couch away from the tv and video games.
Another area of concern? Statins are a relatively new class of drugs. Yes, they do seem to control the onset or progression of heart disease, but no one is really sure why. Statins have been shown to reduce risks of heart disease in people who don’t even have adverse cholesterol numbers, so clearly there are other effects being experienced. Let’s not forget that kids in their teens are still going through significant changes in their bodies. The brain, for example, requires certain levels and types of cholesterol for normal development. No one can conclusively say that the effects that statins have on the body will not interfere with those growth processes during such a critical time in the development of a child.
Is it worth the risks?
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I can’t believe that a “trusted” pediatric organization would actually recommend using statins for kids? Modern science (and questionable science at best) over goood eating and exercise habits?
Please…