CHILDREN as young as 15 should be given statins to reduce their risk of suffering heart attacks and strokes the future, scientists have said.
They said that efforts to lower people’s cholesterol should begin much earlier in life than previously thought.
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The recommendation came after a study found that exposure to cholesterol from a young age may “prime” the arteries to develop atherosclerosis, a condition that can lead to heart disease and strokes.
Atherosclerosis, which is typically diagnosed over the age of 65, is the narrowing of the arteries due to a build-up of fatty deposits.
It can be caused by high cholesterol, as well as high blood pressure and smoking.
However, a study led by scientists from the University of Cambridge and published in Nature, found the risk of atherosclerosisis can begin much earlier.
Particularly fluctuating cholesterol levels in childhood was shown to accelerate the risk of disease development.
Fluctuation may be dangerous due to how it impacts protective immune cells known as resident arterial macrophages, which alter in the early stages of atherosclerosis.
The study suggests intermittent high cholesterol may prevent these cells from becoming protective and can instead accelerate the disease.
Statins are daily medicines that can help lower the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol – often referred to as “bad cholesterol” – in the blood.
Most people in England taking statins are aged 45 to 64
First experimenting in mice, the Cambridge University team fed two groups a cholesterol-rich diet, either intermittently or continuously.
Foods high in cholesterol tend to include hard cheese and cream, as well as butter, ghee and processed meats like sausages.
Ziad Mallat, a British Heart Foundation (BHF) professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Cambridge, said: “When I asked my group and a number of people who are experts in atherosclerosis, no one could tell me what the result would be.
“Some people thought it would make no difference, others thought it would change the risk.
“In fact, what we found was that an intermittent high-fat diet starting while the mice were still young – one week on, a few weeks off, another week on, and so on – was the worst option in terms of atherosclerosis risk.”
Researchers also analysed data from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study, a long-term study tracking heart risks from childhood to adulthood.
More than 2,000 people recruited during the 1980s between the ages of three and 12 had ultrasounds of their carotid arteries when they were aged around 30 and again at around 50.
The team’s analysis found those who had been exposed to high cholesterol levels as children were more likely to have the biggest build-up of plaque in the arteries.
Prof Mallat added: “What this means is that we shouldn’t leave it until later in life before we start to look at our cholesterol levels.
“Atherosclerosis can potentially be prevented by lowering cholesterol levels, but we clearly need to start thinking about this much earlier on in life than we previously thought.”
What are statins?
Statins are daily medicines that can help lower the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol – often referred to as “bad cholesterol” – in the blood.
Having a high level of LDL cholesterol can be dangerous, as it can lead to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
Statin tablets are meant to be taken once a day.
Your dose will depend on why you need the medicine, your cholesterol levels, and other medicines you’re taking.
The drugs sometimes interact with other medicines and foods. like grapefruit juice.
These interactions may sometime result in serious side effects like muscle damage.
What are the side effects of statins?
Most people don’t have any side effects from taking statins.
But some people may experience the following:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Feeling sick
- Feeling unusually tired or physically weak
- Digestive system problems, such as constipation, diarrhoea, indigestion or farting
- Muscle pain
- Sleep problems
- Low blood platelet count
Some uncommon side effects include:
- Being sick
- Memory problems
- Hair loss
- Pins and needles
- Inflammation of the liver (hepatitis), which can cause flu-like symptoms
- Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), which can cause stomach pain
- Skin problems, such as acne or an itchy red rash
- Sexual problems, such as loss of libido (reduced sex drive) or erectile dysfunction
Rarely, people experience muscle weakness, loss of sensation or tingling in the nerve endings of the hands and feet and tendon problems.
It’s rare, but statins can also sometimes cause muscle inflammation and damage.
Speak to your doctor if you have muscle pain, tenderness or weakness that cannot be explained – for example, pain that is not caused by physical work.
If you are having problems with side effects, talk to the doctor in charge of your care.
Your dose may need to be adjusted or you may need a different type of statin.
Source: NHS
He also told MailOnline that – based on the study’s results – the UK ought to start preventing and increasing awareness about the long term health risks of high cholesterol from childhood.
‘”Our studies suggest that we should think about increasing public awareness of the detrimental impact of high cholesterol levels even early in life,” he said.
“Increasing awareness is the first step, then this could be followed later by putting in place “screening” programmes at a much earlier age than it is currently done.”
He told the publication that screening could begin between the ages of 15 and 18, as data suggests that this is a “sensitive” period for cholesterol risk.
If a teen is deemed to be at risk, Prof Mallat said lifestyle interventions such as diet plans could be recommended.
If these measures prove unsuccessful, drugs like statins could be prescribed, he told MailOnline.
“With regard to treatment, lifestyle measures are important, nutritional habits, physical activity etc.,” Prof Mallat said.
“Statins and other lipid lowering drugs could be indicated in case of failure of lifestyle measures.”
Prof Bryan Williams, chief scientific and medical officer at the BHF, said: “Someone is admitted to hospital with a heart attack or stroke every three minutes in the UK.
“In most cases this is caused by atherosclerosis, the build-up of fatty material inside the arteries.
“This exciting new study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, provides new insights into the biological processes behind the development of blood vessel disease.
“Importantly, the study suggests that surges in cholesterol, not just consistently high levels, can cause changes in the blood vessels, priming them for the development of atherosclerosis.
“With this process starting early in life, these findings reinforce the importance of keeping cholesterol levels under control from an early age to better prevent heart disease and strokes later in life.”
