Should I be concerned about my child's blood cholesterol?

Answer: Yes. Everyone older than age 2 should care about cholesterol to reduce the risk of developing heart disease as an adult. Children as well as adults can improve the health of their hearts by following a low-saturated-fat and low-cholesterol diet, avoiding obesity, and being physically active. Only children from families in which the father or grandfather has had heart disease at the age of 55 or younger, or the mother or grandmother has had heart disease at the age of 65 or younger, or in which a parent has high blood cholesterol (240 mg/dL or higher), should have their cholesterol levels tested. If a child from such a "high-risk" family has a high cholesterol level, it should be lowered under medical supervision, primarily through diet changes physical activity.

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