What are the symptoms of hyperlipidemia?
Symptoms of high cholesterol in children consist of symptoms such as weakness, headache, fatigue and reluctance. Cholesterol should be controlled in childhood as there is a risk of coronary heart disease in the future due to hyperlipidemia. Since the symptoms in children are often not remarkable, hyperlipidemia screening should be performed in children with a family history of hyperlipidemia.
How is Hyperlipidemia Diagnosed?
If the parents of children have a history of coronary heart disease and high blood lipid levels, it is important to identify children who may have this condition and refer them to treatment. However, instead of screening the entire child population to detect hyperlipidemia, risky families should be identified and these children should be screened.
Hyperlipidemia has become a health problem for the young population and is especially important because it increases the risk of early coronary artery disease. Although cardiovascular diseases are more common in adulthood, atherosclerosis is more common in childhood. Early diagnosis, treatment and preventive measures in atherosclerosis may reveal atherosclerotic heart disease that may occur in later ages.
How to Treat Hyperlipidemia?
High values in hyperlipidemia screening are checked twice. Before starting treatment, serum TSH, serum ALT and urine albumin levels are measured and secondary hyperlipidemia is prevented. In the treatment of hyperlipidemia, it is important to perform regular physical education and daily exercises, which have an effect on child hyperlipidemia. If necessary, a dietitian should be consulted regarding nutrition.
Drug therapy is used only in the treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia. Drug treatment is determined according to the appropriate age and family history of coronary heart disease. The decision on drug therapy is made by a pediatrician who specializes in lipid disorders. Drug treatment is rarely used before puberty.
Hyperlipidemia Diet in Children
The most important treatment for hyperlipidemia is diet. The diet should be followed from the age of 2. The amount of saturated fat consumption should be minimized. Fat consumption in dairy products should be reduced. Fat-free or low-fat milk and dairy products should be consumed. It is recommended to consume fiber-rich and whole grain products and fish.