Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Aug 1;34(4):156-161.
doi: 10.1097/MOL.0000000000000879. Epub 2023 Mar 17.

Updates in the management of pediatric dyslipidemia

Pooja Choudhari  1 , Nivedita Patni
Affiliations
Review

Updates in the management of pediatric dyslipidemia

Pooja Choudhari et al. Curr Opin Lipidol. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: Pediatric dyslipidemias increase the risk of atherosclerosis and clinical cardiovascular disease and are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Lifestyle modifications and pharmacotherapies have measurably improved abnormal lipids and reduced cardiovascular events. The review will focus on current standards of care and investigative medications with the potential to improve cardiovascular health in children and adults.

Recent findings: Lifestyle interventions and statins remain cornerstones in the treatment of pediatric hyperlipidemias. Bile acid sequestrants and ezetimibe continue to be used in the pediatric population as well. In recent years, successful clinical trials have approved use of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors in children with familial hypercholesterolemia. Use of angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3) inhibitors is also promising as it causes marked improvement in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol with safe side effect profiles. Additional medications undergoing pediatric clinical trials include inclisiran, bempedoic acid, and lomitapide.

Summary: Recent advances in pharmacotherapy, especially for treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia, greatly impact treatment of dyslipidemias in children. Despite the overall progress in the development of these medications, therapies targeted towards treating hypertriglyceridemia have lagged behind. Continuing research for the treatment of pediatric dyslipidemias remains an important endeavor to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and future cardiovascular events in children.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Murphy SL, Kochanek KD, Xu J, Arias E. Mortality in the United States, 2020 [Internet]. In: NCHS Data Brief. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2021 [Accessed 3 March 2023]. pp. 1-8. Report no.: 427. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db427.htm .
    1. Luirink IK, Wiegman A, Kusters DM, et al. 20-year follow-up of statins in children with familial hypercholesterolemia. N Engl J Med 2019; 381:1547–1556.
    1. Ferrari F, Martins VM, Rocha VZ, Santos RD. Advances with lipid-lowering drugs for pediatric patients with familial hypercholesterolemia. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2021; 22:483–495.
    1. Austin MA, Hutter CM, Zimmern RL, Humphries SE. Genetic causes of monogenic heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia: a HuGE prevalence review. Am J Epidemiol 2004; 160:407–420.
    1. Cuchel M, Bruckert E, Ginsberg HN, et al. Homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia: new insights and guidance for clinicians to improve detection and clinical management. A position paper from the Consensus Panel on Familial Hypercholesterolaemia of the European Atherosclerosis Society. Eur Heart J 2014; 35:2146–2157.

MeSH terms

Substances