Significance and Need of Screening for Hyperlipidemia in Childhood

Abstract

Both hyperchylomicronemia, which may cause pancreatic disease, and familial hypercholesterolemia, which leads to premature coronary sclerosis, have clinical relevance in childhood. However, these forms of dyslipoproteinemia are rare with an incidence rate of < 1% taken together. The question whether other more frequent forms of hyperlipoproteinemia of adulthood already have clinical significance in early years of life cannot be answered today with certainty. Support in favor of this idea is derived from epidemiologic studies in adults (Kannel et al. 1971; Chapman and Massey 1964; Stamler et al. 1960; Keys et al. 1963), which have now clearly established that the increase of certain lipid and lipoprotein fractions of plasma must be considered as a major risk factor predicting morbid events related to atherosclerotic disease.