Statin Therapy in Children

Landmark studies such as the Bogalusa Heart study, Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth study, and Muscatine and Young Finns studies established that the atherosclerotic process begins in childhood. Early precursors of atherosclerosis may increase risk of cardiovascular morbidity in adulthood. Follow-up studies of children with familial homozygous hypercholesterolemia showed that initiation of statin therapy slowed the progression of carotid intima-media thickness and reduced cardiovascular disease risk. Despite the growing evidence on the efficacy of statins and a rising prevalence of dyslipidemia, there are concerns regarding long-term safety and efficacy. Moreover, data on statin use in children with secondary dyslipidemia are sparse. This chapter provides a comprehensive review of the current state of literature on the indications, contraindications, efficacy and safety data on the use of statins in pediatric dyslipidemia.