This may be the medical model of the future. In an attempt to prevent future cardiac problems, cholesterol drugs are suggested for children as young as eight years old:

“…It is the strongest guidance ever given on the issue by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which released its new guidelines Monday. The academy also recommends low-fat milk for 1-year-olds and wider cholesterol testing.

Dr. Stephen Daniels, of the academy’s nutrition committee, says the new advice is based on mounting evidence showing that damage leading to heart disease, the nation’s leading killer, begins early in life.”

link: Cholesterol drugs recommended for some 8-year-olds

The long term use of cholesterol drugs, starting that early in childhood, is not known. The empirical data simply are not available. The safety is educated conjecture with the available data at hand.

A pharmaceutical solution may be fit the cultural zeitgeist better than exercise, diet and change in life style. These alternatives take time and far more effort than a medication solution. However, some people balk at beginning children on a preventative chemical regime as young as the second grade. The negative consequences may be realized in the future generations of these children.

Undoubtedly, this recommendation will have the full unbridled support. For the pharmaceutical industry, this medical approach could translate into billions of dollars of annual profits. Hopefully, parents will retain the choice in whether their child receive this preventative treatment.

Catherine Forsythe