Usually when you think of heart disease you picture old, fragile men and women in their late 70′s or early 80′s. Today new research has shown that heart problems can begin in children as young as 8 years-old. Doctors in Chicago are suggesting cholesterol medication to children if they have to much LDL, or bad cholesterol, in their blood.
Obviously trying other methods first such as losing weight and increasing activity would be the best choice. But when children as young as 8 are suffering from obesity sometimes medication is the only option. Unfortunately obesity has become an epidemic for adults as well as children. With over a third of U.S. children overweight and 17% obese; prescribing medication to young children may start sooner than we would like.