Cholesterol checks for kids???
While REVIVE BEND’s core mission is to empower the community to save lives in emergency situations, prevention is clearly the ideal approach. One-third of Americans have high cholesterol, which is a driver of cardiovascular (CV) disease. Cholesterol, also known as “lipids,” is considered one of the most modifiable CV risk factors and a major cause of heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral vascular disease.
The ACC/AHA (American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association) just released updated guidelines on dyslipidemia (commonly referred to as cholesterol), which I will attempt to boil down into take-away recommendations.
Kids
• Yes, kids need screening because we now know cholesterol starts to build on vessel walls and in organs at a young age.
• Screen all kids ages 9–11 (pre-puberty).
• Repeat at ages 17–21.
• If there is a strong family history of inherited cholesterol disorders, screening may need to begin as young as 2 years of age.
• The point of childhood screening is to catch any previously undiagnosed familial disorders and to start a stepwise approach to treatment, with #1 being lifestyle modifications.
Adults
• Low-risk adults should have a recheck at least every 5 years. Higher-risk individuals (ask your doctor about your risk) should be screened more frequently.
What test?
• In addition to the standard cholesterol/lipid panel (total cholesterol, HDL, triglycerides, calculated LDL), it is now recommended that everyone has an Lp(a) (lipoprotein a) test at least once in their lifetime.
• Elevated Lp(a) is common (~20% of the population) and is associated with a 1.5–3 times higher risk of CV disease and requires more aggressive treatment.
Treatment
• Lifestyle changes first (activity, weight, tobacco use).
• Ask your doctor to calculate your risk, as it will determine your LDL cutoffs and guide medication management if needed.
o Statin medications are first-line.
So the bottom line is: start screening early, get an Lp(a) test if you haven’t already, and talk to your doctor or primary healthcare provider about next steps.
Thanks for reading,
Susy DeMeester MD
Blumenthal RS et al. ACC/AHA/AACVPR/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2026 Mar 13:S0735-1097(25)10254-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2025.11.016. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41824590.
