One-third to nearly one-half of all children and adolescents should be tested for cholesterol levels, according to new guidelines recently published by The American Heart Association in Circulation.
According to the AHA, the physicians who care for these at-risk youth face an unexpected obstacle -- their parents. The AHA finds "low levels of parental compliance with both cholesterol screening and intervention." In response, a growing number of pediatricians are utilizing lab-accurate testing equipment that allows them to conduct the screenings in their office.
Donna Miller, MD, a Bennington, VT-based pediatrician uses the Cholestech Corporation LDX(R) cholesterol screening device in her private practice. "Point of care testing is a wake-up call for parents. Many don't take their kids to off-site labs and, unfortunately, educating parents is also part of the challenge for pediatricians," says Miller. "Most parents need to be counseled about altering nutrition and lifestyle habits not only for their children but for their entire family. If you're able to test a child right there and then in your office, then you've got the parents as well. Point of care allows a physician to do a more effective job."
Says Petrina Marchica, clinical office manager at Beach Pediatrics in Island Park, NY, which uses the Cholestech LDX as a standard part of annual checkups, "Point-of-care testing is much more powerful because patients don't have to wait to come back to the office to learn the results and the prescribed course of action. Doctors are able to advise them on what needs to be done immediately. When testing is done off-site, parents don't always take their children to the lab right away, even if it is a necessary element of their annual exam. In-office testing offers convenience and benefits for patients, parents and doctors. Also, our medical staff appreciates how easy the LDX is to use, and parents appreciate that the fingerprick is so child- friendly, especially as compared to a blood draw."