One in Five Kids Have Abnormal Lipids

One in Five Kids Have Abnormal Lipids: New data from the CDC shows that one in five youths aged 12 to 19 years has abnormal lipid levels. Also, nearly one-third of these youths are obese or overweight and based on their body-mass index (BMI) are candidates for lipid screening, according to investigators. Among the sample, 20% had at least one abnormal lipid measurement, such as elevated LDL cholesterol (>130 mg/dL), reduced HDL cholesterol (150 mg/dL). Researchers also showed that compared with normal-weight youths, those who were overweight or obese were significantly more likely to have at least one abnormal lipid measurement. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2010; 59:29-31.