PEDIATRIC PREVENTIVE CARDIOLOGY - HEALTHY HABITS NOW, HEALTHY HEARTS LATER

In recent years there has been a strong emphasis from both medical and nonmedical communities to improve overall cardiovascular health. Cont inued attention has been focused an finding improved treatment regimen s, and, encouragingly, increased attention is being directed toward pr evention strategies for coronary heart disease. Emphasis on heart-heal thy diets, fitness, and the now commonplace free blood pressure and ch olesterol screenings have become part of our daily life. Multiple stud ies have demonstrated that atherosclerosis begins in childhood, and in creasingly, the need for prevention to begin during childhood is being highlighted. Preventive cardiology in children, however, has long rel ied on adult data for definitions of risk factors, study protocols, an d norms. Gradually, the pediatric data is becoming available. Elevated cholesterol levels, hypertension, obesity, and other risk factors def ined in adults are all areas of intense interest in the pediatric popu lation. This brief review of preventive cardiology in children provide s a look at the risk factors for adult coronary heart disease as they relate to children, the current recommendations (and associated contro versies), and a summary of some of the most recent clinical trials. (C ) 1997 Rapid Science Publishers.