Pediatric Lipid Disorders

Care for Children with High Blood Cholesterol or Triglycerides

Children with high levels of cholesterol and/or triglycerides cannot be treated like small adults; they need an approach that considers various factors including age, stage of development, family history, and co-existing illness. Our pediatric endocrinologists treat children with a wide range of lipid disorders. We design a personalized treatment plan that incorporates healthy eating, exercise, lifestyle changes and, when appropriate, medications to ensure your child’s optimal health and well-being now and in the future.

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Pediatric Lipid Disorders We Treat

We treat all types of lipid disorders in children, including:

High cholesterol, or hypercholesterolemia (high blood levels of cholesterol)
High triglycerides, or hypertriglyceridemia (high blood levels of triglycerides, a type of fat)
Lipid abnormalities associated with diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome (a combination of high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, high lipid levels, and excess weight)
Children with a family history of early cardiovascular disease such as heart attacks or strokes

Our Locations

Duke Health offers locations throughout the Triangle. Find one near you.

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Care Process

Your child’s individualized treatment plan will depend on their family health history, age, stage of development, and specific health considerations.

Evaluation

Your child’s endocrinologist will review your child’s family health history, perform a physical exam, and order blood tests to evaluate your child’s health. The initial evaluation will help your pediatric endocrinologist customize treatment and services to match your child’s needs. If your child’s condition affects the function of the heart or kidneys, the pediatric endocrinologist will work closely with Duke colleagues in the divisions of pediatric cardiology or nephrology to optimize treatment plans. If blood tests show that your child’s high lipid levels result from an inherited condition, we’ll bring in a genetic counselor to discuss how this affects your family and to determine if additional screening is necessary. Our team approach will ensure that your child gets thoughtful and comprehensive care.

Diet and Exercise

You and your child will work with dietitians, exercise specialists, and other child nutrition and obesity experts to learn how to eat well and exercise -- habits that will improve your child’s health now and in the future. You’ll learn about nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle habits that can help your child lead a healthy life. Lifestyle changes affect the entire family, so we make sure everyone has the information they need to make wise decisions and adopt healthy behaviors.

Medications

Our pediatric endocrinologists will assess carefully your child’s long-term risks of heart disease and, with your active participation, will determine if medications might be useful for treating the lipid disorder. The risks and benefits of each medication will be reviewed during the clinic visit, and plans will be made to monitor your child for any potential adverse effects of the drug(s).

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855-855-6484

Leading Care for Children with Lipid Disorders

Specialized Care
Duke Children’s is the only hospital in the North Carolina region to offer specialized care for children’s lipid disorders.

A Team of Specialists
Our pediatric endocrinologists evaluate your child’s overall health and work with pediatricians and other specialists -- such as heart or kidney doctors -- as needed to give your child complete care. Your child’s endocrinologist works closely with dietitians and specialists in childhood obesity and exercise to design your child’s treatment plan.

Access to the Latest Treatments and Research
Your child has access to the latest treatments. Our pediatric endocrinologists are also researchers who are dedicated to improving care for children with lipid conditions. They have extensive experience in childhood obesity, diabetes, pediatric endocrine disorders, and nutrition. That means your child receives attention from doctors who are on the leading edge of medicine for children with high levels of cholesterol and other lipids.

Consistently Ranked Among the Nation's Best Children's Hospitals

Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center is proud to be nationally ranked in 10 pediatric specialties.

This page was medically reviewed on 05/29/2023 by

Michael S. Freemark, MD