Lipid Screening in Children Clinical Pathway — Primary Care
Lipid Screening in Children Clinical Pathway — Primary Care
Cohort
This pathway guides lipid screening for children ≥ 2 yrs old during well visits.
Background
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States
- Childhood dyslipidemia is a risk factor for adult CVD
- Approximately 20% of children aged 6–19 have dyslipidemia, the causes are multifactorial
- While the majority of childhood dyslipidemia may be managed with diet and lifestyle, those with severe dyslipidemia or risk factors for future CVD may require medication
- 1 in 200–250 individuals in the United States have heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia
- Universal screening aims to identify children with familial hypercholesterolemia and significant dyslipidemias for early intervention
- AAP recommends that all children receive cholesterol screening between 9–11 and again between 17–21 yrs old
- Recommendations provided here are stratified by risk to promote appropriate testing and referral to the Lipid Heart Clinic