Protect your Kids from Heart Disease

How old do kids have to be before you have to start worrying about protecting them from heart disease? Would you believe age 2? Medical research is indicating that having high blood cholesterol levels at a young age may lead to atherosclerosis (Heart disease) later in life. In this condition, cholesterol combines with other substances to form plaque a thick, hard deposit that can clog the arteries feeding the heart and brain. There is compelling evidence that this damaging process begins in childhood and progresses slowly into adulthood. The it often leads to coronary heart disease, which is the number one killer of American men and women. Check out these facts;

About 37% of American youth age 19 and younger have blood cholesterol levels of 170 mg/dL or higher. In adolescents this is considered high, comparable to a 200 mg/dL level in adults. About 42% of the people discharged from hospitals for coronary heart disease are younger than 65 years. Many of these adults have children who may have coronary heart disease risk factors that need attention.