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Lipid Heart Clinic at the Cardiac Center
The Cardiac Center's Lipid Heart Clinic evaluates and treats children and adolescents who have high levels of lipids (fats) in their blood. Elevated lipids, particularly cholesterol, put young people at risk for heart disease later in life.
We support families to make healthy lifestyle changes for themselves and their children, give customized dietary recommendations, and in some cases, prescribe medication to reduce a child's risk for the early onset of heart disease.
- Please contact us at 215-590-4040 to make an appointment.
- Your First Visit provides information about what to expect and forms you'll need to fill out.
- If you are a referring physician, our Referring Physician form will help you determine if a referral is right for your patient.
Our clinic is made up of physicians, nurse practitioners and registered dietitians from the divisions of cardiology, endocrinology and gastroenterology. We work as a team to develop a personalized care plan for each child. We treat young people through 17 years of age.
Your first visit to the Lipid Heart Clinic
During your initial visit to the Lipid Heart Clinic, you can expect to:
- Meet with a doctor and a dietitian
- Review the Patient questionnaire and Three-day diet history.
- Discuss your family's health history, eating habits, and physical activity level
- Discuss your child’s and other family members’ cholesterol levels
- Have a physical exam performed on your child. Please be assured that blood samples will not be collected on the first visit.
- Develop a healthy eating plan for your child and family
- Receive a referral to the Healthy Weight Program, if necessary
- Discuss the possibility of starting medication, if necessary
- Receive a folder that includes a check-list with suggestions made during the visit, handouts on lowering your child’s cholesterol, and what you will need for your next visit with us.
Please complete and bring the patient questionnaire, the three-day diet history (download the forms above), and your child's cholesterol tests (or have your pediatrician fax them to us at 215-590-4978). If available, please bring cholesterol test results from your child’s biological parents and siblings (over age 2 years).
The Lipid Heart Clinic team
Director, Lipid Heart Clinic
Attending physicians
Registered dietitian
- Melanie Katrinak, RD, LDN
Research coordinator
- Tonia Morrison, BS, CCRC
Administrative assistant
- Shannon Lewis, BA
Please contact us at 215-590-4040 to make an appointment.
Resources on nutrition, physical activity, disease prevention
- American Heart Association
- American Diabetes Association
- My Pyramid
- We Can! Parenting Handbook
- Nutrition Facts and Calorie Counter
- CDC BAM! Body and Mind - Nutrition Page
- CDC's reccomendations for physical activity
- CDC's VERB Campaign
- CDC SmallStep Campaign
- NIH Publications on weight control, nutrition, physical activity
- Indoor/Outdoor Games & Activities
- Kidnetic
- CDC BAM! Body and Mind - Physical Activity Page
Local resources
- The Children's Advocacy Project (CAP4Kids)
- Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (PANA)
- After School Activities Partnerships (ASAP)
- Philadelphia Department of Recreation
For healthcare professionals and others
- CDC BMI Growth Charts - For girls ages 2-20
- CDC BMI Growth Charts - For boys ages 2-20
- CDC BMI Percentile Calculator for Children
- USDA BMI Z-Score Calculator
- USDA Energy Needs Calculator
- Complete chart of blood pressure 95th percentiles (by age, gender, height)
- The Fourth Report on the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents
- Download the NHLBI's free Pediatric Hypertension Clinical Reference Tool (for Palm OS and PocketPC PDAs)
Contact Us
For more information on our services or to schedule an appointment.
- 215-590-4040
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