Follow up study on children with dyslipidaemia detected by mass screening at 18 months of age: effect of 12 months dietary treatment.

The present study was done to evaluate the effect of short-term dietary therapy on 148 dyslipidaemic children (24 familial hypercholesterolaemia, 105 non-familial hypercholesterolaemia and 19 hypertriglyceridaemia), detected by mass screening in children at 18 months of age. In the model diet used for treatment, 15% of the total calories were obtained from protein, 27% from fat and 57% from carbohydrate. Cholesterol intake was set at < 200 mg/day and the ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid (P/S ratio) was 1.2. When compared to the composition of the diet ingested by the dyslipidaemic children, only the P/S ratio changed from 0.7 to 1.2. During 12 months treatment, levels of total cholesterol, low density lipoproteins cholesterol and apoB decreased by 10%-15% in children with familial and non-familial hypercholesterolaemia. There was no significant change in the levels of high density lipoproteins. In 19 children with hypertriglyceridaemia, the intake of carbohydrate was limited to 55% of the total calories consumed and after 12 months of treatment, triglyceride levels reverted to normal. Throughout the study period, approximately 70% of the children on this dietary therapy were seen in our clinics every 3-6 months and physical development was within normal ranges. These results, taken together, indicate that dietary therapy can be effective for correcting dyslipidaemia, even in young children.