European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 20, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Halting heart disease during youth Byjah Debrody new York Tirolesi n a major new Florl to Slem Bear disease at is childhood origins paediatricians in he Umed suites Are expected to begin testing millions o children for High cholesterol Levels Trio Campaign was launched recently when he american Academy of paediatrics urged physicians to test cholesterol Levels in a children 2 years and of Der who have a Amity history of High cholesterol or premature hear attack. Those children found to have High cholesterol Levels .176 milligrams Pei 100 Millilitres of blood serum or higher should be couns eted on heir diet by nutrition specialists the Academy said in a policy formulated by its nutrition committee. Studies indicate Ira one Quarter to one third of american children Are above thai level and most p those Are in families Wilh a history o cholesterol or heart problems. Public health experts consider 140 to Iso milligrams la too a desirable cholesterol level in children. The new policy comes amid mourning evidence thai cholesterol. Levels in childhood Are 1he most important predictor of adult cholesterol Levels which when too High Are a major cause o heart Al tacks. In previous policy statements the Academy s nutrition committee has shied away irom recommending major Dalary changes in Young children Tor ear thai they May Compromise growth and development. The committee s concerns were supported by the finding last year in suburban Mew York of growth. Retardation in seven infants whose parents All a Lluent and Well educated had deliberately provided a diet so Tow in at fat the children consumed insufficient calories to sustain Normal growth. We re still worried about Zea Rols who May carry a Low Tat diet so far that they under nourish their kids said or. Laurence Finberg who Heads the -. Commil Teo but we think our recommendation is justified by Cut font  Finberg is chairman of. Paediatrics at the state University of now Yore health science Center in Brooklyn. Several studies have found no detrimental effect on growth or brain. Development in children who grow up on a Well designed cholesterol lowering die. For example a study at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine of 73 children who were put on a restricted diet because of extremely High cholesterol Lav cts showed Hal there was no dil Terence in their growth compared with children Ealing an unrestricted diet. A diet designed to lower blood cholesterol Levels would limit. Consumption of Bolh  cholesterol. Especially saturated lats such As animal fats vegetable shortening and Coconut and Palm oils. -.-". The Academy committee which had previously resisted the childhood dietary goats recommended by other Public health organizations has within the last the clogging of an artery o a new it wary. Arterial blockage thai can Soidla h haul it e Wood is tripped in  Thi  intact  3lem culls whale Coila Iris los Paca under on doth a Al a Rhal Flo fhe bloc \ v  Ait Tetil Iralue Maiu cym. In Lilliya foam  unc tar Tow endothelial Calls farming a bulge in Tow Antry my and causing in atty a Tes Camdren and cholesterol " i of premi fairy figures from a continue mtg study begun in film of Trio total cholesterol readings for 6,000 children. 4 to 19 Yetts old in five regions. Some researchers suspect Levels above about 180 milligrams of cholesterol per 100 Mili ilsters of blood indicate increased risk of High cholesterol Levels in adulthood = x i 52.7% 241 and 201-240 780-200 140-179 under Bov no source or. Kenneth a. Resari flow american health foundation not health Organiza Idns has within the last. Year informally adopted the guidelines of the american heart association the America health foundation and a panel convened by the National Insl Lules of health these groups have urged a reduction in at intake by children to 30 percent of daily calories with 10 percent of  derived from saturated Fate. A the same time they advise limiting dietary cholesterol 16 100 milligrams Lor every 1,000 calories consumed up to a daily maximum of 300 milligrams. Surveys indicate that average americans Between the Ages of 2 and is consume about 36 percent of their. Calories from at with 13 percent coming from saturated fats. Nearly 30 percent of All american children consume More. Than 40 percent of their daily calories irom a i and about 60 percent exceed. The recommended limit of 100 milligrams do cholesterol per 1,000ca oties. The Academy has expressed concern thai if total fat intake drops below 30. Percent of calories in growing children. Some children May hot consume enough calories Iron Rich meats and Calcium Rich Dairy products to sustain Normal growth. The National heart lung and blood Institute is sponsoring a Large study of growth and develop Wal am Rig preadolescent school children who have been put on cholesterol lowering diets. To group recommends reducing fat or cholesterol intake in children under 2 years of age. Since they Are More Likely than older children to become malnourished Ona Low a diet. Although there is still no proof thai lowering blood cholesterol Levels in \ children will help prevent heart disease in adulthood a study published recently in the Tournat paediatrics showed that among 2,446 children of slowed from childhood to Young adulthood cholesterol Levels Early in life outweighed other risk factors in Dale mining Ciote Sterol Levels latei1 in  finding irom a Slud directed by. The University of Owa hospitals and clinics showed Hal childhood cholesterol Levels were More important than the combined effects of body weight cigarette smoking and Oral contraceptive us in adolescence in predicting adult cholesterol Levels. The Academy committee also. Spec titled the kinds of tests that would be most Likely to yield clinically useful results. The tests should be done the committee said alter a 12-hour last and should include measurements of Deal serum cholesterol triglycerides and High density Lipoprotein cholesterol commonly matted Hal cholesterol. Triglycerides Are another Type of blood fat that in elevated May raise the risk of heart attack. Hal cholesterol the so called Good cholesterol helps the body dispose of excess cholesterol. The higher the Hal level the lower he risk of Hearl disease by measuring total cholesterol and the High density Lipop Rollin cholesterol and subtracting the latter irom the. Former physicians gel a indirect measure of he amount of artery damaging Low density Lipoprotein cholesterol circulating in the blood. For those children consistently above 175 milligrams of total cholesterol the committee recommended dietary counselling by an experienced registered dietitian Over Many  the committee estimated that reasonable dietary changes could lower total cholesterol by about 10 to is percent. Vas Tor drug therapy the committee said it should be limited to the s percent of children will cholesterol Levels above 200 milligrams and Only after dietary intervention alone has been  -. Other groups have urged thai physicians also pay More attention to other health factors in Young children and teen agers. Including obesity. Insufficient exercise and cigarette smoking that can increase a child s risk of developing a High cholesterol level and eventually heart disease. Page. 16. The stars and stripes tuesday december 20,198b