title: Concentrations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol among children and adolescents in the United States.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated guidance on lipid screening in childhood. Our objective was to examine recent distributions in concentrations of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol among US children and adolescents and to estimate the prevalence of adolescents who are potentially eligible for pharmacological treatment for elevated concentrations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999 to 2006 for participants 6 to 17 years of age. The mean concentration for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol for participants 12 to 17 years of age was 90.2 mg/dL (n=2724), and the mean concentration of total cholesterol among participants 6 to 17 years of age was 163.0 mg/dL (n=9868). Depending on the cut points used, an elevated concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was noted for 5.2% to 6.6% of participants and an elevated concentration of total cholesterol for 9.6% to 10.7%. Approximately 0.8% of adolescents 12 to 17 years of age were potentially eligible for pharmacological treatment for elevated concentrations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given current guidelines, only a small percentage of US adolescents may need pharmacological treatment for elevated concentrations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
authors.affiliation: Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Controland Prevention, Atlanta, Ga., USA. eford@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Earl S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: Chaoyang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Guixiang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Ali H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Mokdad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D002784:Cholesterol