AGE-RELATED-CHANGES IN CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASE RISK-FACTORS OF HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC CHILDREN

Objective: To describe the age-related changes in cardiovascular disea se risk factors in young, hypercholesterolemic (HC) children. Methods: Hypercholesterolemic (n = 227) and nonhypercholesterolemic (NHC) (n = 80) children between the ages of 4 and 10 years were identified. Heig ht, weight, skin-fold and blood pressure measurements, and total chole sterol levels were measured. The HC group also had insulin levels eval uated. The groups were compared by analysis of variance. Simple Spearm an correlations evaluated the associations between factors within each group. Results: The HC and NHC groups had similar mean ages, heights, and weights, both contained 51% girls, and all were white subjects. P ercent weight-for-height median, and biceps, triceps, suprailiac and s ubscapular skin-fold measurements were all larger for the HC group. A significant age interaction demonstrated that the HC group's larger su prailiac and sum of skin-fold measures were expressed in the 8.0- to 9 .9-year-old children, but not the 4.0- to 5.9-year-olds. For both grou ps, systolic blood pressure was associated with the measures of adipos ity. For the HC group, insulin levels were also associated with adipos ity. Conclusions: These results suggest that: (1) children with HC hav e greater body fat, (2) the expression of the hypercholesterolemia pre cedes the expression of increased body fat, (3) body fat increases wit h age, and (4) altered insulin and blood pressure levels are expressed in association with the increased body fat in children with HC. Confi rmation with longitudinal data is necessary.