Statins and Children
 
There was a recent report that I saw on the 11 O’clock news that stated pediatricians want to put some children on statins. Statins are a class of drug that lowers cholesterol by inhibiting the HMG-CoA enzyme. Statins, like Vytorin, come with side effects including muscle and joint pain and recently the SEAS trial showed that there was “a disturbing link to cancer.”
 
So the question is, do we really want our kids on this class of drug? Not to mention that these drugs inhibit the body’s natural production of CoQ10, a vitamin-like substance that is responsible for energy production, but also they usually are taken on a long-term basis.
 
Steven P. Shelov, M.D., chairman of pediatrics of Maimonides Medical Center in New York City believes that the benefits of statins outweigh the risks. The reason for this controversy is that there are an increasing number of obese children that by their teenage years have dangerous levels of cholesterol. 
 
So here is a thought, why not regulate the diet of these children? Studies have shown that diet (not the Cheerios diet) and exercise can lower cholesterol levels by controlling weight. This diet includes a substantial reduction in processed foods, sugars, and trans fats replaced by raw fruits and vegetables. The upside with this easy remedy is that a child might inversely increase their self-esteem.
 
 
o    Docs Debate Cancer Risk of Heart Drug
o    Pediatricians Recommend Cholesterol Drugs for Some Kids
o    Coenzyme Q10- Wikipedia