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Less Than 1% of U.S. Adolescents Need Drug Treatment for Dyslipidemia
Less than 1% of U.S. adolescents are eligible for drug therapy for dyslipidemia, according to a Circulation study.
In light of the 2008 recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics to screen children at high risk for dyslipidemia, researchers sought to estimate how many adolescents qualify for drug therapy. Using data from NHANES surveys taken between 1999 and 2006, they estimated that 0.8% of adolescents — or 200,000 — might qualify.
Asked to comment, Dr. Stephen R. Daniels, lead author on the 2008 AAP recommendations, said that the low numbers weren't a surprise and that lipid levels in the young seem stable, despite the increase in obesity.
LINK(S):
Circulation article (Free abstract; full text requires subscription)
Physician's First Watch coverage of AAP recommendations (Free)
Published in Physician's First Watch February 18, 2009
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