About two million prescriptions for cholesterol-lowering drugs were written for overweight children last year. However, the Consumer Reports Health Rating Center recently released a report that said, these drugs, known as statins, have no proven record of safety or effectiveness when used on young children. No one knows the harm that drugs might do to a child's developing organs, and no one knows if they prevent heart disease in adulthood, according to the report.
In 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics okayed the drugs for children ages eight years old and above, and advised doctors to give cholesterol tests to even two-year-olds at risk for obesity.
Dr. John Santa, a medical doctor who works for Consumer Reports, is telling parents that he might not want to use cholesterol-lowering drugs on children who have no risk factors for heart disease. Risk factors include being overweight or obese, diabetes, a family history of heart disease and smoking. He advises parents to discuss the situation with their doctors and try to help the children lower their cholesterol levels through diet and exercise before using drugs.
Labels: cholesterol, medications
Posted By: Jane St. Clair
