Cholesterol screening must for youngsters

Dr Elena V Kuklina,the studys lead author and a senior fellow with the division for heart disease at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,said young adults should be screened because heart disease is a chronic condition that can begin damaging blood vessels at an early age.

It can be seen even at age 10, Dr Kuklina said. But we also have evidence that if you start to intervene early,its much easier to turn around the process than it is at an older age,when you already have plaque and your vessels are blocked.

The National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III recommends screening everyone beginning at age 20. The United States Preventive Services Task Force advocates a targeted approach,focusing on men aged 20 to 35 and women 20 to 45 who have heart disease or risk factors for it.