1 in 5 Teens Has Unhealthy Cholesterol Levels

Jan. 21, 2010 -- One in five American teens has unhealthy cholesterol
levels, putting them on the fast track for heart disease, according to a new
CDC report.
Researchers found that 20% of young people aged 12-19 in the U.S. have at
least one abnormal cholesterol or lipid level, including low-density
lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or
"good" cholesterol, and triglycerides.
Unhealthy lipid levels are a leading risk factor for heart disease and death
among adults in the U.S.
"Overweight and obese young people are at far greater risk of having
abnormal lipid levels than are youths with normal weights," researcher Ashleigh
May, PhD, an epidemic intelligence service officer in CDC's Division for Heart
Disease and Stroke Prevention, says in a news release. "The current epidemic of
childhood obesity makes this a matter of significant and urgent concern."

The study showed 43% of obese
teens had unhealthy cholesterol levels compared with only 14% of normal-weight
teens and 22% of overweight teens.





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