新奇事件簿 检测儿童胆固醇水平（在线收听）

Child health experts believe children should be regularly screened for cholesterol levels. New guidelines from America’s National Institutes of Health recommend the regular screening of kids between the ages of 9 and 11. Doctors say with increasing obesity rates in children, it is essential that steps are taken to make kids aware of their health. They say identifying high cholesterol early can prevent heart disease later on in life. Around 15 per cent of U.S. kids are overweight or obese; a figure that rises to 30 per cent for teenagers. Over ten per cent of children in America have high cholesterol. The test is very simple – just a finger prick blood sample can tell doctors which children are most at risk.

儿童健康专家相信，儿童应该经常检测胆固醇水平。来自美国国立卫生研究院的最新研究建议9岁至11岁的儿童经常检测胆固醇水平。医生们表示，由于儿童肥胖率越来越高，必须采取措施让孩子们意识到健康状况。他们说，及早鉴别高胆固醇可以预防以后出现心脏病。大约15%的美国儿童超重或肥胖。在青少年中，该数字增加了30%。美国超过10%的儿童胆固醇高。该检测非常简单——一滴手指血就可以告诉医生哪一名儿童胆固醇水平比较危险。

Dr Stephen Daniels of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and one of the authors of the guidelines explained the importance of starting a screening programme: "The more we learn about heart disease and stroke in adults, the more we know that the process begins in childhood and progresses over time," he said. He believes the guidelines will help identify children who genetically are at a higher risk of having high cholesterol. Dr Daniels added: "We as pediatricians really need to get kids started on the right track and keep them in as low a risk category as possible." The guidelines recommend ways to increase the heart’s health. They say mothers should start with breast-feeding and introduce a low-fat diet for babies.

Stephen Daniels是国家心脏、肺和血液研究所一位医生，也是该指导方针的一位作者，他解释了开始检测项目的重要性：“对成年人心脏病和中风了解得越多，我们就更了解这个过程在童年时期就已经开始，而且随着时间不断发展。”他相信这些指引方针可以帮助鉴别有高胆固醇遗传基因的儿童。Daniels补充说：“作为儿科医师，我们非常需要让儿童走向正确的轨道，尽可能让他们处于低风险级别。”指引方针建议了增强心脏健康的方法。他们说，母亲们应该从母乳喂养开始，婴儿时期就选择低脂肪的饮食。