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Tracking of serum total cholesterol during childhood: an 8‐year follow‐up population‐based family study in eastern Finland
Author(s) -
Fuentes RM,
Notkola IL,
Shemeikka S,
Tuomilehto J,
Nissinen A
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2003.tb00571.x
Subject(s) - medicine , confounding , demography , el niño , population , total cholesterol , pediatrics , cholesterol , environmental health , sociology
Aim : To investigate the tracking of serum total cholesterol (TC) during childhood. Methods : All children born during 1981–1982 in a rural community of eastern Finland were followed at 6 mo, 7 y and 15 y of age. The full follow‐up period was completed by 138 out of 205 children, of whom 82 (33 girls) had TC measured at 7 y and 15 y of age (–7 y, –15 y). The main outcome measurement was TC (mmol/L). Results : TC‐7 y was significantly associated with TC‐15 y ( r = 0.655; p‐value <0.001). This correlation did not change significantly after accounting for confounders. Children in the highest tertile of TC‐7y had a significantly higher risk of being in the highest tertile of TC‐15y compared with children in other tertiles of TC‐7 y (relative risk = 6.4 (2.9–13.9)). TC‐15 y was predicted positively by TC‐7 y (linear regression beta = 0.63; p ‐value <0.001) and parental high TC (TC ≥5.0 mmol/L in at least one parent) (beta = 0.58; p ‐ value = 0.030). Birthweight had no significant association with TC during childhood. Conclusion : The study confirmed the tracking of TC during childhood. The identification of children at risk of developing high TC during adolescence should take into consideration the child's previous TC values during childhood and parental TC status.