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Preventative Pediatric Cardiology Program

Preventative pediatric cardiology can make a positive impact on a child’s future. Our Preventative Pediatric Cardiology Program is a comprehensive evaluation of a child's family history, current medical condition and activity level to make dietary, exercise and medical recommendations. It is our goal to provide patient-centered care and promote a healthy future for all children. 

While it is not intended as professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, reviewing the information about our program will allow you to understand more about preventative pediatric cardiology. 

Three main components of a Preventative Pediatric Cardiology Program:

Who may benefit from a Preventative Cardiology Program?

  • Children with heart or vascular disease
  • Children with a family member who developed heart or vascular disease at a young age
  • Children with high cholesterol, high triglyceride levels or high blood pressure
  • Children who are overweight or obese
  • Children with metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes
  • Children with diabetes

Our approach to Preventative Cardiology:

During a patient’s first visit, he or she will meet with a preventative cardiology physician for a physical exam and evaluation of his or her heart, which may include an electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiogram. The patient's health history and medications will be reviewed. A cholesterol test may be performed and results given at the time of the initial evaluation. If the test reveals an issue, we will refer the patient to a dietary and nutrition expert and recommend physical fitness activities. We will schedule follow-up clinic visits to assess the patient’s progress, and a letter will be sent to the child’s primary care physician detailing our assessment, recommendations and care plan.

Universal lipid screening in children

New guidelines strongly recommend that children have a cholesterol screening between the ages of 9 and 11 and again between ages 17 and 21.

We recommend cholesterol screenings in children because research has found:

  • Children with high cholesterol can develop atherosclerosis (the buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on artery walls) early in life.
  • Early treatment of cardiovascular risk factors in youth is effective
  • Lipid disorders are common in children and often increase with childhood weight gain
  • Without screening, 30% to 60% of children with high cholesterol go undiagnosed

Universal screening is designed to identify cholesterol disorders in any child who could benefit from early cardiovascular risk reduction interventions. These interventions typically  include lifestyle changes with an emphasis on heart-healthy nutrition and increased activity. Only an estimated 1% to 2% of children with positive risk factors for high cholesterol may be candidates for cholesterol medication.

Please call our office if you have any questions. We look forward to caring for pediatric patients during their health journey.

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