Consultant360USPSTF Releases Recommendation for Screening for Lipid Disorders in Children, Adolescents

The Task Force maintains its 2016 stance due to lack of evidence on benefits and harms of early detection.

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has reiterated its 2016 recommendation, stating that there is insufficient evidence to assess the benefits and harms of screening asymptomatic children and adolescents for lipid disorders. This decision comes after a systematic review commissioned by the USPSTF.

HCN Medical Memo
Healthcare professionals should be aware of the USPSTF’s stance on lipid disorder screening in asymptomatic youth. Although the prevalence of conditions like FH and multifactorial dyslipidemia is not negligible, the lack of evidence supporting early detection necessitates further research and careful consideration when deciding on screening strategies.

Key Points

• Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and multifactorial dyslipidemia, conditions causing abnormally high lipid levels in children, can lead to premature cardiovascular events and death in adulthood.
• FH prevalence in the United States ranges from 0.2% to 0.4% of children and adolescents, while multifactorial dyslipidemia is common in 7.1% to 9.4% of this demographic.
• A serum panel is a commonly proposed screening test for FH and multifactorial dyslipidemia, despite insufficient evidence to recommend for or against lipid screening in pediatric patients with or without symptoms.

According to the CDC, nearly 1 in 5 children aged 6-19 years old in the US has obesity, which can contribute to high cholesterol levels.

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