Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Now Recommended for Kids

Since obesity (and the health woes that follow with it, like Type 2 diabetes) is an adult problem that is becoming a serious problem for children and teens, too, it's perhaps inevitable that adult remedies are also being applied more and more frequently to younger patients. Weight-loss surgeries, for example, are increasingly becoming an option for teens despite the fact that the nutritional limitations that come with them may not be ideal for developing bodies. And now, cholesterol-lowering drugs are also trickling down to the pediatric set.

According to a Health Day report, the American Heart Association is now recommending that statins be made available to overweight children and teens who have high cholesterol levels and a family history of cardiovascular problems or diabetes. The AHA's statement, delivered in the journal Circulation, points to studies showing that statins can be effective for kids, and suggests that doctors working with at-risk youngsters do thorough screenings, then give prescriptions to patients for whom lifestyle changes will not afford enough protection.

You know what this means, don't you? Lipitor commercials on Nickelodeon.

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