STM Article Repository

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate reference values for lipid profile of Slovak pediatric population to improve the identification of children with dyslipidemia.

Methods: A total of 873 healthy children aged 7-18 years (55% boys) were included in the cross-sectional Slovak Lipid Community Study. Fasting blood samples were collected and standard lipid procedures for total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) were used. Smoothed reference lines and percentiles (5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 95th) were generated using LMS method.

Results: All lipid parameters except for TC and LDL-C in girls were higher in puberty than in adolescence, and dynamics lipid levels often differed between gender with aging. At the age of 17-18 years, 6% of boys and 15% of girls had abnormal TC levels whereas abnormal TG levels presented 11% of boys and 13% of girls. Abnormal low HDL-C levels were observed in 17% of boys and 10% of girls.

Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that age and gender, in pediatric population, play an important role for lipid profile evaluation. In addition, estimated age- and gender-based reference cut points for serum lipids may facilitate identification of children with dyslipidemia.