Cholesterol drugs for 8-year-olds: Our best weapon against heart disease?
Despite alternatives to statins, in early July the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a recommendation that some children use cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Children who are at least 8 years old with high LDL levels and other risk factors are considered candidates for the drugs, shown to be “generally†safe, according to The Associated Press.
In response to the academy’s recommendation, Rodger Murphree, D.C., outlines some side effects of statin drugs in a November article from The American Chiropractor. In his analysis, Murphree mentions studies that show increased risks for nerve damage, polyneuropathy and cancer.
Understandably, at a time when a third of U.S. children are overweight and nearly a fifth obese, policymakers across the nation are scrambling for solutions. Research revealed in early November indicates obese children and teenagers, or kids with high cholesterol, have artery walls as thick as people in their mid-40s, according to The New York Times.
But using prescriptions to prevent heart disease among children and adolescents is a poor proposition at best.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports in a Nov. 4 story that from 2002 to 2005, the use of certain prescriptions among children increased at the following rates:
- Prescriptions for lipids/cholesterol increased 15 percent
- Type-2 diabetes medication doubled
- Asthma medication went up nearly 47 percent
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs jumped 40 percent
Lifestyle and diet change instead of drugs
Children are increasingly overmedicated, and although some drugs might be necessary, there are certainly other options, including lifestyle change, that could help children restore wellness and develop healthful habits to carry into the future.
An approach to health care that defines prevention as pill popping is purely propaganda coming from the pharmaceutical sector. Instead, the focus should be on proper nutrition, physical activity and weight management.
In an effort to lower children’s cholesterol, high-fiber foods might be a good first step. A story from Fox News in late July recommended the following:
- Berries, such as raspberries, and apples
- High-fiber, low-sugar cereals
- Beans, which can be mixed into meat dishes
- Whole-wheat pasta
- Soy products, which contain isoflavones
- Popcorn, with 7 grams of fiber in one cup of kernels
- Peanut butter, which has high levels of omega-3 fatty acids
- Flavonoid-rich dark chocolate
More at EnzymeExperts.com
- Studies show reducing the level of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory biomarker, significantly cuts the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Safer alternatives to inflammation-reducing statin drugs include systemic enzymes, co-enzyme Q10 and vitamin C.