Cardiovascular Screening Reveals Diabetes and High Cholesterol in Middle School Students

CINCINNATI – A pilot study of 45 college students showed that more than one-third of those screened had blood sugar levels or abnormal elevated cholesterol levels. Two had blood glucose (HbA1c) in the diabetes range.

The study supports routine screening for diabetes and abnormal lipids, but most are not, although the American Academy of Pediatrics and other leading medical organizations recommend it.

"We were shocked by the results of diabetes screening," said Robert Siegel, MD, director of the Center for Better Health and Better Nutrition at Cincinnati Children & # 39; s. "Most studies show that about 20% of children will have abnormalities, so we were not too surprised by the results of lipid screening." Our message is to get tested, eat well and to play. "

Dr. Siegel and colleagues at the Children's Institute of Cincinnati examined grade seven and eight students at Norwood Middle School in Ohio. Norwood is a city of about 20,000 people in southwestern Ohio. The children were between 12 and 14 years old. Seventy-one percent were whites, 16 percent blacks, and 9 percent were Hispanics.

Forty-two percent of those screened were overweight or obese. Fifteen of the 43 students (two refused to have a blood test) had a lipid or HbA1c screening out of the normal range. Two had cholesterol levels above 200 mg / dl.

Two students had an HbA1C level above 6.5, which meant that they were diabetic. Neither of them had yet presented any symptoms, but they were referred to a pediatric endocrinologist for evaluation.

"Further research is needed to understand why or why not parents want their children to be examined and whether they prefer it to be done at the doctor's or school's," Dr. Siegel says. "Through our study, we demonstrate that if the college setting is used for cardiovascular screening, if it is feasible, the return is high."

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The study is published online in the Journal of Pediatrics. It was funded in part by a grant from Ethicon Corporation.

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