RT Journal
A1 Psaty BM, Rivara FP
T1 UNiversal screening and drug treatment of dyslipidemia in children and adolescents
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 2012
FD January 18
VO 307
IS 3
SP 257
OP 258
DO 10.1001/jama.2011.1916
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2011.1916
AB 
Over the last few decades, the theory that adult diseases begin in childhood has been widely discussed. Smoking, the most common underlying cause of death for adults in the United States, begins before the age of 18 years in the majority of adult smokers. Obesity has become the largest health problem in the United States, and the difficulty of long-term weight loss for obese children and adolescents means that many of them will be overweight as adults. The rationale for considering cardiovascular disease prevention efforts in childhood is compelling. Not only do risk factors track from childhood into adult life, but the development and progression of atherosclerosis, which often starts in childhood, are also directly related to the number of risk factors and their severity.