The role of preventive cardiology in children

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review examines prevalence, diagnosis, and management strategies for cardiovascular risk factors including dyslipidemia, hypertension, and obesity in children and adolescents. As these risk factors begin in childhood and track into adulthood, early intervention is important in preventing cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of mortality in the United States. RECENT FINDINGS: The American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 characterizes components of cardiovascular health including health behaviors (diet, exercise, sleep, tobacco use) and health factors (blood lipids, blood pressure, blood glucose, and weight). Optimizing these health metrics is associated with favorable overall and cardiovascular health (CVH) outcomes. In the United States, prevalence of hypertension, obesity, and cardiovascular disease is projected to rise over the next decade, while hypercholesterolemia is declining. While lifestyle modifications remain a cornerstone in care, new pharmacotherapeutic options have emerged for children over the past several years to treat dyslipidemia and obesity. SUMMARY: Pediatric clinicians have an important role in counseling and supporting CVH in children. This review examines aspects of CVH that are commonly managed in preventive cardiology programs, focusing on diagnostic evaluation and treatment strategies, highlighting new and emerging therapies for children and adolescents, including pharmacotherapy and latest research on effective lifestyle modifications.