NUTRIENT QUALITY OF FAT-MODIFIED AND CHOLESTEROL-MODIFIED DIETS OF CHILDREN WITH HYPERLIPIDEMIA

Objective: To assess the nutritional adequacy of lowfat, low-saturated fat, low-cholesterol-modified diets of children with hyperlipidemia. Design: Case comparison study. Setting: Tertiary care ambulatory pedia tric atherosclerosis prevention center.Patients and Other Participants : White middle-class suburban children. Subjects were 54 consecutive c hildren with hyperlipidemia (26 boys) with a mean (+/-SD) age of 10.8/-3.4 years. Controls were 44 healthy children (19 boys) aged 10.8+/-0 .9 years recruited from a local elementary school. Intervention: The s ubjects received individual nutrition counseling on a National Cholest erol Education Program Step I Diet from a registered dietitian. Main O utcome Measure: The 3-day written food records were analyzed by a regi stered dietitian using the Minnesota Nutrient Data System. Outcome mea sures were intakes of energy, fat-soluble vitamins, and minerals as a percentage of the Recommended Dietary Allowance. The means between cas es and controls were compared by Student's test. Results: There was no significant difference in consumption of energy, minerals, or vitamin s D and E between the groups. The control group's diet contained signi ficantly greater amounts of fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. The c hildren with hyperlipidemia consumed significantly more vitamin A (P<. 005). Conclusion: The nutrient quality of fat- and cholesterol modifie d diets of children who have received nutritional counseling compares favorably with the nutrient quality of controls on an unrestricted die t. Therefore, pediatricians can prescribe with confidence a Step I Die t for children with hyperlipidemia and adolescents when nutritional co unseling is available.