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SINGAPORE - Goh Jia Xun has high blood cholesterol.
Nothing unusual about that, you may think. After all, Singaporeans are well known for their love of artery-clogging delicacies. And about one in five Singaporeans have high blood cholesterol levels, according to a 2004 National Health Survey.
But unlike most people with high cholesterol levels, Jia Xun is in his teens.
The Secondary 4 student was only 13 years old when a health check revealed that his cholesterol level was 320 mg/dl - alarmingly high even for an adult.
According to American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines, the acceptable cholesterol level for children and teenagers aged two to 19 is below 170 mg/dl. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol or “bad” cholesterol that increases the risk of cholesterol deposits within the walls of blood vessels should be kept under 110 mg/dl.
Understandably, Jia Xun’s mother, Mrs Cherrine Goh, was “shocked” to hear that he had such a high cholesterol level.
“I’ve never heard of other kids or teenagers having such high cholesterol levels,” said the administrative officer. Jia Xun is currently on medication to manage his blood cholesterol.
Jia Xun’s case is not uncommon. Children and teenagers, like adults, can have high blood cholesterol too, said Assoc Prof Lee Yung Seng, a consultant at National University Hospital’s University Children’s Medical Institute.
There are currently no official figures on the number of children here with high cholesterol. Not many parents are aware of the problem.
“High blood cholesterol is a silent killer because the effects usually don’t show up until much later,” said Assoc Prof Lee.
Because of its elusiveness, “many parents think that high cholesterol is not important or dangerous at a young age, or that their child will eventually ‘outgrow’ it”.
But, high cholesterol levels in childhood have been linked to coronary heart disease and strokes. “The earlier you have high cholesterol, the more health problems you will have in the future,” said Assoc Prof Lee.
Genes and family history may play a part, but Assoc Prof Lee said obesity which affects 9.5 per cent of Singaporean children, according to HPB figures is a more common reason for high cholesterol levels in young patients.
A recently published NUH study on 250 severely obese Singaporean children found that more than one-third of the children had high LDL cholesterol levels.
Said Ms Letty Shiu, a nutritionist with Health Promotion Board’s youth health department: “In general, excessive consumption of foods high in cholesterol, saturated and trans fat may result in a rise in blood cholesterol levels.”
Examples of cholesterol-laden foods include egg yolks, organ meats (such as liver, kidney) and shellfish. Deep-fried and processed foods are typically high in saturated and trans fat.
In Jia Xun’s case, besides a family history of high cholesterol levels, his love for fried foods and eggs may have also contributed to the condition. Jia Xun was borderline overweight when he was diagnosed with high blood cholesterol at 13.
But should all parents get their kids’ cholesterol levels screened?
Assoc Prof Lee said there is “no need for parents to be overly paranoid”. Rather, start by “watching the child’s diet from the time they are young”.
Parents should limit their children’s cholesterol intake to no more than 300mg per day, said Ms Shiu. Less than 10 and 1 per cent of your child’s daily calorie intake should be made up of saturated fat and trans fat, respectively.
These recommendations are for children aged two and above.
“Positive lifestyle practices, such as regular exercise and healthy eating, can prevent the onset of obesity as well as other chronic conditions such as diabetes later on in life,” said Ms Shiu. - TODAY/ar
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