title: Hypertriglyceridemia in a pediatric referral practice: experience with 300 patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pediatric hypertriglyceridemia is an emerging comorbidity of childhood obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study reviewed medical records retrospectively to describe the characteristics and clinical course of 300 at-risk children followed in a pediatric preventive cardiology clinic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average baseline triglyceride (TG) level was 269 mg/dL (SD 342 mg/dL); 91% had TG levels between 150 and 399 mg/dL. A total of 77% were overweight/obese, 23% had elevated blood pressure, 23% had a family history of high triglycerides, and 11% reported a psychiatric diagnosis (33.3% of those with severe TG elevations). Diet and activity change were the first-line therapies; few were taking lipid-lowering medications (baseline, 5.1%; follow-up, 11.4%). TG levels declined by 23% (average, 88 mg/dL; SD 231), often with a decline or plateau in TG risk category. Children with a lower body mass index (<85% gender- and age-matched percentile) were more likely to improve in TG category than heavier children (70% vs 40%; P ≤ .05).
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. sarah.deferranti@cardio.chboston.org
authors.forename: Sarah D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: de Ferranti
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crean
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cotter
authors.forename: Dylan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.forename: Stavroula K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Osganian
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010372:Pediatrics; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides