Serum cholesterol in children with ASD

Objectives. Because the brain contains one-quarter of all cholesterol in the body, cholesterol has a significant effect on the brain. Cholesterol may also have an impact on autism, which is associated with poor brain development. Damage to neurons can lead to the emergence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This is a case-control study conducted to explore the potential association between serum cholesterol level and ASD in children’s patients. Material and methods. It involved collecting data from medical records, performing interviews, and taking blood samples from patients and a control group of children. The samples consisted of 60 child patients with ASD and an equal number of controls, for a total of 120 participants. Outcomes. There was a significant inverse relationship between cholesterol levels and ASD. The children diagnosed with ASD displayed significantly lower cholesterol levels when compared to healthy children (p-value = 0.004). The age distribution of the participants showed a non-significant difference between the ASD patient group and the control group (p-value = 0.085). This supports the existing knowledge that ASD is more common in children under the age of 18. Conclusions. Children with ASD had a lower total serum cholesterol level than healthy children. This may suggest that there is an inverse relationship between serum cholesterol levels and disease state in children diagnosed with ASD who have lower cholesterol levels. Also, significant differences of gender and BMI were found among study groups, suggesting their association with the disease’s development and consequences. The results of the study also highlight some significant differences in the main basic characteristics of ASD in patients, evaluating their possible roles with the disease’s roots and with serum cholesterol, on the other hand. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the sophisticated relationship between cholesterol level and ASD development, potentially opening up new ways for the update of intervention, treatment, and follow-up strategies.