Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Schoolchildren

Abstract

A total of 1470 students in Berlin, Germany, aged 7-22 years, were screened for cardiovascular risk factors such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, obesity, smoking habits, and a positive family history. Only 56% had no modifiable risk factor, but 16% showed total cholesterol (TC) levels greater than 200 mg/dl. One percent had severe and 11% had borderline hypertension. Also, 21% were overweight, and 27% of the adolescents greater than or equal to 15 years admitted to smoking regularly. In this paper we concentrate on cholesterol findings of this study, i.e., the dependence of TC on sex, age, weight, and the use of oral contraceptives. There was an age dependency in both sexes. In boys the lowest TC levels were found in the 12-17-year-olds, whereas the group under 10 had the highest ones. In the age group over 17, TC was higher than in the younger groups. The age dependency of the TC levels in girls was similar, but less pronounced. The minimum level was reached earlier, namely in the group 14-15 years old, rather than in the group 16-17. TC levels of girls compared to boys were significantly higher in the 12-13 and 16-17 age groups. Girls who use oral contraceptives had significantly higher TC levels. Obesity had no influence on TC. Our results support the demand for screening for cardiovascular risk factors in children.

Coronary risk factors in Turkish schoolchildren: Randomized cross‐sectional study*

“… 22,23 Hypercholesterolemia prevalence has been reported as 7.0–38.27% in children from different ethnic origins. 24–29 Hypercholesterolemia was found to be more prevalent in children residing in urban than in rural areas in our study ( P <0.001), consistent with two studies from Spain 27 and Chile. 30 In the latter study, the HDL‐C level was also found to be higher in urban children.…”

“…The prevalence of smoking has been reported to be 7.0–12.4% in girls and 13.1–33.8% in boys among high school students living in the different regions of our country 66,67 and 3–30% in adolescents from different countries. 24,28,49,68 In our study population, the smoking rate was suddenly increased in the 15–18‐year‐old age group in both sexes. This increase was more apparent in boys.…”

“…Various studies involving the children of different races have shown a decline in TC levels during the pubertal period, being more prominent in boys, but occurring earlier in girls. 28,35–37 Coşkun and Bayraktaroğlu have reported that there are no significant differences in mean TC and HDL‐C levels between age and sex groups. 22 However, Güneşer et al have reported that the mean serum TC values are highest in 9‐year‐old children and lowest in 15‐year‐old males and 12‐year‐old females, among 9‐, 12‐ and 15‐year‐old children.…”

“…Hypertension prevalence was reported as 6.25–12.3% in schoolchildren living in different regions of Turkey 22,46,47 and as 2–25% in children and adolescents from different countries. 24,28,29,48–50 The geographic variations in the prevalence of childhood hypertension between different studies may originate from several factors, including ethnicity, environment and dietary habits, as well as the differences in the age groups surveyed. In our study, systolic and diastolic BP values were gradually increasing with age in both sexes.…”