Day 215- 8-Year-Olds on Statins?????

I came across this article, although 3 years old now, it was so shocking to me that I felt the need to share. The New York Times posted an article on July 8, 2008 tittle, "8-Year-Olds on Statins? A New Plan Quickly Bites Back." The article talks about a new aggressive recommendation to help prevent children from developing heart disease later in life. The plan was to give children statin drugs, cholesterol-lowering medication, to hopefully prevent heart attacks later in life, regardless of the lack of evidence that this plan would even be effective.

"Doctors who sat on the academy's committee on nutrition, which issues the guidelines, agree there are no long-term data on statin use in children. But they say there are adequate safety data to justify the recommendations. One statin, Pravachol, has already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in children as young as 8."

"Under the old guidelines, children considered at high risk for heart disease could be given statins starting at age 10. The new guidelines apply to children as young as 8 with LDL, or "bad," cholesterol of 190 milligrams per deciliter, or those with LDL of 160 and a family history of heart disease or two other risk factors. Among children with diabetes, drug treatment may begin when bad cholesterol reaches 130."

"In addition, the academy recommended that children with a family history of heart disease be screened as early as the age of 2 and no later than the age of 10. And by the age of 12 months, if a doctor is concerned about future weight problems, low-fat milk may be recommended."

"While most of the attention has focused on the drug therapy guidelines, far more parents may be affected by the recommendation that low-fat milk products are appropriate to give to children after the age of 12 months. Historically, low fat milk has been discouraged for very young children because fat is essential to brain development. But the academy noted that because children were getting so much fat elsewhere in their diets, low-fat milk may be recommended by pediatricians if they are concerned about future weight problems."

While I have only merely highlighted some of the statements that stood out to me the most, I highly recommend you read the entire article in the New York Times. It is outrageous to think that this could even remotely be a good idea. Image a child getting placed on a statin drug at the age of 8, his muscles would waste away by the time he was an adult. I would even argue that he would be less capable of being as physically active as the same child not on statin drugs. Drugs are not the answer, diet and lifestyle changes are what need to be pushed by doctors. There is no magic pill, teach children at a early age proper eating habits, encourage children to be active by getting off the couch and playing sports. If nothing else at least have your doctor run an lipoprotein electrophoresis test to see if statin drugs would even have an affect on the body. Drugs should be the last results, although I highly doubt I would even take statins then.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP