Cholesterol isn't just a problem for grown-ups. Kids who inherit familial hypercholesterolemia have excessive levels of cholesterol and thickened arteries that can lead to more serious diseases later in life. But little research has been done on the effects of cholesterol-reducing medicine (called statins) on children, especially over longer periods.

What the researchers wanted to know: Are statins safe for kids with familial hypercholesterolemia?

What they did: Researchers recruited 214 kids in the Netherlands who had familial hypercholesterolemia and studied them for two years. The children—ages 8 to 18—had to have one parent with familial hypercholesterolemia and could not have taken any cholesterol drugs in the past. Researchers started the kids on a fat-restricted diet three months before they began the study. They assigned the cholesterol medicine prevastatin to 106 patients and the placebo to 108 patients. Two people who didn't know who was in which group evaluated each child: an image analyst who examined ultrasound images of their arteries from the beginning of the study, after one year, and after two years; and a physician who evaluated each child every six months. Blood samples were taken to check cholesterol levels. Researchers evaluated many factors to determine any negative side effects of the drug, including body-mass index, testicle size, and educational progress in school.

What they found: The medicine seemed to work: Artery thickness tended to increase in patients taking the placebo and decrease in patients taking the cholesterol medicine. The medicine considerably decreased the amount of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (which is thought to be connected with cardiovascular disease) in patients' blood. There was no difference in academic performance, height, or testicle size.

What this means to you: Taking statins appears to help kids with familial hypercholesterolemia. This study provides evidence that the disorder is reversible and the medication won't mess up kids' physical development or grades.

Caveats: The placebo kids' artery walls didn't thicken as much as researchers expected. They account for this by noting that the kids were all on a healthy diet. The results of this study do not apply to kids with high cholesterol who don't have familial hypercholesterolemia. Although the study followed the kids for two years, even longer studies are still needed to evaluate the long-term effects of the medication on kids.

Learn more: More about familial hypercholesterolemia at www.medterms.com.

Read the article: Wiegman, Albert, et al. "Efficacy and Safety of Statin Therapy in Children With Familial Hypercholesterolemia." Journal of the American Medical Association. July 21, 2004, Vol. 292, No. 3, pp. 331-337.