Cholesterol test for teens? WTF?

[dolallylass]

Ok opinions required. XH tells me tonight he has had high cholesterol and his specialist has suggested my DCs 10 and 12 should be tested too. XH cholesterol was 7.3 now 6.1 he's over 40 and his diet was not so good. I think it's overkill and will unecessarily worry my kids and we should bear it in mind for the future. What do you think?

When my mum and gran were diagnosed with hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol). Both me and my brother were tested, we would have been in our early teens. Didnt really worry us tbh. My mum just explained that it was to make sure that we'd healthy when we got older.

Thank you. What difference has it made as you've got older? Tbh XH has one thing after another with his health and his DM is paranoid about her health so its the worry I am more keen to not pass on. I'm I interested in what benefit it will give them.

The same with us. My grandad died from high cholesterol, my dad had cholesterol of 9 when tested. They have familial hypercholesterolemia - ie a heritary condition. I got tested in my late teens and luckily have low cholesterol. It is worth getting it tested as people with the condition apparently might not be able to regulate their cholesterol levels naturally with diet.

The benefit to them is that if they have the condition then you can help them stop having a heart attack at a younger age. HTH

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001429/

Go with it. It's not a big deal and you dont know, there could be a link and it may help them in the longer term.

I love this place, back to earth for me. Hard when it's XH as my heckles are straight up. Thank you.

I have had Familial hyperchoesterolemia all my life, never been worried about it but at same time don't eat butter, cheese etc... brought up that way. Only just got round to starting to take medicine age 26 and it brought my cholesterol right down.
Taking care not to become overweight is important but if you don't want them to worry do the research, feed them the right foods tell them its healthy but don't go on too much about the cholesterol.
No reason not to have the blood test, doesn't mean they need to start taking medication till they're older. :)

I do watch their diet and they both do tons of exercise. My DP and I don't drink or smoke, have just finished a baobab shake (no joke) - gross! Reports from XHs house is that he eats left over curry and naan for breakfast so my point is more cause and effect. I need to look into this further. Thanks

I had some issues when I was 19 and blood tests found high cholesterol. No one explained what a possible cause might be, and it wasn't mentioned again after further bloodtests, so I assume it's ok now. I have always been average size with average diet, and was a vegetarian for a couple of years before the high cholesterol was discovered.

So basically, perhaps consider getting them tested as you can never know.

there are two different types of cholesterol

most people with raised chlesterol have a repeat 'fasting' test done and this is a good indicator as to whether it is diet related or genetic

my dad had a heart attack at 43 with a cholesterol level in the high teens, both his parents died in their early 60s of heart disease -my dad had high cholesterol picked up at a health check at 40 when it was 9, docs spent 3 years telling him he was cheating on his diet and not offering him meds

we got tested at 16 as the advice was that there was no point before that age

my sis was high and has been on meds since
mine was low despite being slightly overweight (thank you mum)
my brother refused to be tested as he didn't want it hanging over his head -my dad's sister hasn't been tested either

I'm still on the fence. Not that I dispute them being tested but 10 and 12 seems a little young plus they have enough on their plates. What gets my goat is that XH is happy to discuss illness when it relates to him but the countless times I try and discuss his emotional neglect of DCs esp. DS are scoffed at.

I take their diet seriously and their education and everything about them tbh while he swans in for his contact every two weeks. My kids currently do 12 session of out of school clubs pw, this has been as high as 16 and he does very little to help. My DS plays a sport at a high level, working towards county, and in 4 years his dad has seen him play 4 times!! Where's the test for the impact of that input?

I know these are separate issues and that's why I asked the audience (that's you guys). Thanks for your input. Been divorced 7 years so I know nothing will change and he's a . I will get them tested but on my timeline not his.

If its hereditary then they may have high (in our family too) so best to get it checked.

With the genetic type its less what you don't eat (you should steer away from the usual suspect but 'bitter' salads - raddish, sprouting beans, radiccio, rocket etc - are good at lowering, as is porridge). The most important thing is exercise and keeping stress levels down. All in all, pretty good advice for us all. Not sure if the benecol type stuff works but good diet and exercise keeps ours down.

Oh and I meant to say - its probably a shock buit early detection means you can make some small changes early that will become lifetime healthy habits. We found out when someone said 'you know XXX (recently deceased relative) brother just had a triple bypass? His sister is on pills. Of course, his brother died last year.' Eeek!

Oh and that lot were unhealthy, ate everything they shouldn't, didn't exercise... And weren't detected until middle age. We have it all under control with diet and exercise and it was very very high at one point!

They do exercise and eat well.

My maternal grandad had a heart attack at 45 and a pigs valve fitted his his heart in his 70s, lived til 86. One of his sons has had a triple bypass the other is on statins (sp) as he then got checked. My mother was tested but no action taken yet. XHs mother had a rhythmical heart complaint which was successfully operated on a couple of years ago and I suspect her dad had had the same so I've always know they've got plenty to keep an eye on.

XHs cholesterol is because he eats rubbish and drinks plenty. He stopped his bad ways his cholesterol fell. His dad was exactly the same and even when he went on meds he was nearly 70!

Maybe it's just a fear that they will have an issue that's putting me off. DS broke his leg last year and previously had an operation. Single parentdom is hard enough without the extra pressure but I do hear what you're saying

It sounds like you are doing is all right anyhow! It is great to get them into good habits early, whatever the diagnosis, but you know all about hearts by the sounds of it. Luckily, your kids have a mum who is looking out for them. You don't want them on statins, nasty liver-buggering things.

I'd get it done if it was me. I assume it's a blood test? I'd rather put my kids through a blood test (even if they hate it) than risk problems in later life.

FWIW my dad was a non-smoking, vegetarian and only a bit overweight. He had high cholesterol (too much cheese!) and a heart attack, then double bypass.