Guidelines for screening, evaluating, and treating children with hypercholesterolemia.

Hypercholesterolemia is the most frequently identified coronary heart disease risk factor in childhood, with 25% or more of children in the United States reported to have borderline high or high levels. This article provides a summary of current recommendations for cholesterol screening, evaluation, treatment, and follow-up in the pediatric office or clinic setting. Detection and treatment of pediatric dyslipidemia, however, is only one component of preventive cardiology and should be addressed in routine well child and adolescent care along with major efforts to prevent cigarette smoking, obesity, inactivity, and hypertension.