Cholesterol levels in children from Cantabria

Abstract

The aim this study was to know the levels of cholesterol and other lipids in children from Cantabria; to look at their association to age, gender and genetic or environmental factors and to recognize the number of children with high risk of cardiovascular aliment. It was a descriptive and transversal study done in the second semester of 1992. A sample of 587 children, 1-14 years old, from both sexes, rural and urban environment, without previous lipidic diseases was studied. The mean levels of cholesterol was 177 ± 31 mg/dl; HDL 57 ± 16 mg/dl; LDL 11 ± 28 mg/dl and TC 63 ± 27 mg/dl. The FC/HDL ratio was 3.4 ± 1.0 and the LDL/HDL ratio was 2.1 ± 0.9. These levels were not associated to age, gender and rural or urban environment, nevertheless they show a mild positive correlation with familial history (r: 0.17; p < 0.01). The percentage of children with TC > 200 mg/dl was 22.8% (IC-95%: 19.4%-26.2%); with HDL < 35 mg/dl was 6.4% (IC-95%: 3.9%-8.9%); with LDL > 130 mg/dl the 23.5% (IC-95%: 19.1%-27.9%); with TG > 140 mg/dl the 1.2% (IC-95%: 0.5%-2.7%). The percentage of TC/HDL > 3.5% was 36.0% (IC-95%: 31.1%-41.0%) and the LDL/HDL > 2.2 the 38.6% (IC-95%: 33.5%-43.6%). There is a high percentage of children with cardiovascular in Cantabria, so the lipid parameters must be investigated, specially if there is a positive familial history, and advice dietetic preventive measure.