THE POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OVERWEI GHTEDNESS AND PREVALENCE OFHYPERLIPEMIA IN THE CHILDREN OF PATIENTS WITH HETEROZYGOTE FAMILIAL HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA AND COMBINED FAMILIAL HYPERLIPEMIA

BACKGROUND: Heterozygote familial hypercholesterolemia and combined fa milial hyperlipemia are associated to a greater risk of coronary disea se. Combined familial hyperlipemia has classically been indicated to m anifest after the second decade in life. The aim of this study was to establish whether a systematic search would demonstrate the existence of combined familial hyperlipemia earlier and analyze whether the antr opometric parameters related with the overweightedness accompany the a ppearance of the lipid disorders of this disease found at an early age . PATIENTS AND METHODS: Different lipid parameters were studied in 89 subjects under the age of 18 who were children of patients with hetero zygote familiar hypercholesterolemia and combined familial hyperlipemi a. Likewise the weight, height and waist/hip quotient were evaluated. Hyperlipemia was considered as the presence of cholesterol/LDL and/or triglicerides greater than the 95 percentile for age and sex. RESULTS: Hyperlipemia was observed in 51% and 40% of the children of patients with heterozygote familiar hypercholesterolemia and combined familiar hyperlipemia, respectively. The body mass index and the waist/hip quot ient of the latter children significantly correlated with the choleste rol HDL values and the LDL/HDL quotient. CONCLUSIONS: The patients wit h known combined familiar hyperlipemia have a high percentage of child ren with hyperlipemia during infancy. These data suggest a possible as sociation between obesity in the appearance of hyperlipemia in the chi ldren of patients with combined familial hyperlipemia at this age.