Checking Kids' Cholesterol

Pediatricians don’t often screen children and adolescents for a lipid profile, an important tool for identifying cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is considered a life-course condition, meaning it can begin in childhood, so why aren’t we screening kids more regularly? Does early intervention make sense for some kids? In this episode, we discuss cholesterol, family history, genetics, and what pediatricians should be doing to educate and screen their patients.

Stephen Daniels, MD, is the L. Joseph Butterfield Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, as well as a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He is also a pediatrician in chief at Children’s Hospital Colorado, specializing in pediatric preventative cardiology.

In this episode, our expert highlights:

• What we know about the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease in kids
• The role of obesity and other important factors
• Questions to ask to understand the role of genetics and family history
• Steps pediatricians can take for earlier diagnosis