USPSTF Releases Recommendation for Screening for Lipid Disorders in Children, Adolescents

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to assess the benefits and harms of screening asymptomatic children and adolescents—those aged 20 years and younger—for lipid disorders, after commissioning a systematic review.

According to the USPSTF, familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and multifactorial dyslipidemia are conditions that cause “abnormally high lipid levels in children” that can lead to premature cardiovascular events and death when they reach adulthood. The prevalence of FH in United States ranges from 0.2% to 0.4% of children and adolescents, whereas multifactorial dyslipidemia is common in 7.1% to 9.4% of children and adolescents.

Due to a lack of evidence to demonstrate the benefits and harms of early detection in asymptomatic children and adolescents, the USPSTF came to its conclusion, which is consistent with its 2016 recommendation.

The USPSTF explains that although there is insufficient evidence to recommend for or against lipid screening in pediatric patients with or without symptoms, a serum panel is a commonly proposed screening test for FH and multifactorial dyslipidemia.

Reference:

US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for lipid disorders in children and adolescents. JAMA. 2023;330(3):253-260. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.11330