title: Blood lipids among young children in Europe: results from the European IDEFICS study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Measurement of cholesterol and triglyceride (TG) fractions in blood has become standard practice in the early detection of atherosclerotic disease pathways. Considerable attention is given nowadays to the presence of these risk factors in children and to start preventive campaigns early in life. In this context, it is imperative to have valid comparative frameworks for interpretation of lipid levels. The aim of this study is to present sex- and age-specific reference values on blood lipid levels in European children aged 2.0-10.9 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fasting blood was obtained via either venipuncture or capillary sampling. In 13,579 European non-obese children (50.3% boys), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), TG and TC/HDL-C ratio levels were measured with a point-of-care analyser (Cholestech). Sex- and age-specific reference values were computed with the GAMLSS method with the statistical software R.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reference curves and 1st, 3rd, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, 97th and 99th percentile values are presented. HDL-C showed a positive trend with age, from 2 years onwards, but was relatively stable above the age of 7. For LDL-C and TC, linear but small age-related trends were seen. The TC/HDL-C values showed a gradual negative trend from the age of 2 up to 6 and were relatively stable afterwards. For TG, no age trend was found (P=0.285). Boys had higher mean HDL-C values than girls (1.414 vs 1.368 mmol l(-1)), and lower TC, LDL-C, TC/HDL-C and TG values (3.981 vs 4.087 mmol l(-1); 2.297 vs 2.435 mmol l(-1); 2.84 vs 3.01mmol l(-1);  and 0.509 vs 0.542 mmol l(-1), respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These new and recent references could serve as a European orientation of blood lipid values in children in the context of standard medical practice and for the purpose of public health screening.
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium [2] Department of Health Sciences, Vesalius College, University College Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Henauw
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Michels
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vyncke
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology-BIPS, Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hebestreit
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Population Genetics, Institute of Food Sciences, CNR, Avellino, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology-BIPS, Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Intemann
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology-BIPS, Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peplies
authors.affiliation: MVZ Dortmund Dr Eberhard und Partner, Dortmund, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fraterman
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Health Care, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eiben
authors.affiliation: TIMC-IMAG, CNRS UMR 5525, Coeur et nutrition, Faculté de Médecine de Grenoble, Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Lorgeril
authors.affiliation: Research and Education Institute of Child Health, Strovolos, Cyprus.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tornaritis
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health Promotion, University of Pécs, Gyermekklinika, Pécs, Hungary.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Molnar
authors.affiliation: Department of Chronic Diseases, National Institute for Health Development, Tallinn, Estonia.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Veidebaum
authors.affiliation: 1] Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology-BIPS, Bremen, Germany [2] Institute of Statistics, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, University Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ahrens
authors.affiliation: GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development) research group, School of Health Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Moreno
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004032:Diet; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D011634:Public Health; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides