ESPE Abstracts

Background: LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) levels can be high in familial hypercholesterolemia or other dyslipidemia, and the elevated levels are often found in the pediatric setting.

Objective: To create a pediatric reference using data of a prospective birth cohort study at our hospital (Seiiku Cohort for Children and Mothers) and to examine its association with possible predisposing factors.

Result: LDL-C was measured with direct assay. The mean +/- SD values of LDL-C and numbers of children with high LDL-C (over 140mg/dL) were 107.59 +/- 28.75 mg/dL and 112/894 (12.5%) at the age of 1 year, 93.65 +/- 19.82 mg/dL and 13/715 (1.8%) at the age of 3, 87.79 +/- 19.84 mg/dL and 7/557 (1.3%) at the age of 6, 90.68 +/- 19.94 mg/dL and 4/333 (1.2%) at the age of 7, 94.32 +/- 20.28 mg/dL and 6/251 (2.4%) at the age of 8, and 94.67 +/- 20.68 mg/dL and 8/369 (2.2%) at the age of 9, respectively. There is a positive association between BMI and LDL-C levels at school age. Children who were fed only with breast milk in infancy had relatively higher LDL-C levels at the age of 1 and lower ones after the age of 3, although the multivariate regression analysis did not reveal significant difference in LDL-C levels at the age of 9 between exclusively breast-fed children and the others. Earlier adiposity rebound have positive association with BMI at school age, but no association with LDL-C.

Conclusion: The normal range of LDL-C was higher at the age of 1, but reduced by the age of 3 and remained unchanged in elder children. Breast feeding in infancy may have beneficial effect on LDL-C levels in later life.