When to get kids tested for serious diseases

I cannot believe it may be necessary to get 9-year-olds tested for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and Type 2 Diabetes. It's sad that we have gotten to this point as a society. I just wanted to pass along this information because I don't think most parents know about this recommendation.

FROM CNN:

Unfortunately, as obesity becomes more common among children, diseases once thought to be primarily a problem of adulthood are showing up in kids. For this reason, children should be screened for medical complications of obesity, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Not everyone agrees when you should start screening your children, but the latest recommendation is to test cholesterol between 9 and 11 years old and then again between 17 and 21. Ask your pediatrician for his or her opinion based on your child’s BMI. Blood pressure can be measured with a cuff at the doctor’s office, and diabetes and high cholesterol can be checked with simple blood tests.

These tests may include blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c and insulin levels for diabetes; a lipid panel (such as cholesterol and triglycerides) which, along with blood pressure, is a marker for heart disease; and tests for liver problems that can occur with obesity.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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