New Guidelines Suggest Cholesterol Checks for Kids Ages 9 to 11

New guidelines written by a panel sponsored by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), sayAll U.S. children between the ages of 9 and 11 should be screened for high cholesterol.  According to an article written by HealthDay:

The recommendations are a major shift from current guidelines that suggest such testing be done only for children who have a family history of  heart disease or high blood cholesterol, which is one of the major risk factors for heart disease.

Meant to improve children's heart health and reduce their future risk of cardiovascular disease, the new guidelines also recommend that children and young adults have their cholesterol levels checked again between the ages of 17 and 21.

For more information on kids and cholesterol, visit  Kids Health from Nemours.