Global cardiovascular risk in children and their families: the Prevention Education Program (PEP), Nürnberg

The Prevention Education Program (PEP) is a 14-year prospective study designed to identify and evaluate cardiovascular risk factors in school-children and their families. The second aim of the PEP is to test the hypothesis that the individual risk can be changed by family lifestyle modifications.

We here report on the evaluation of the global cardiovascular risk constellation in 3283 adults and 3220 children and adolescents (aged up to 16 years): 36% of the children were passive smokers and 35% of the adults were smokers. The prevalence of low-density lipoprotein-hypercholesterolemia was nearly identical in the children (> or = 130 mg/dL) and adults (> or = 155 mg/dL), being respectively 17% and 18%. Low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations (< or = 35 mg/dL) were recorded in 4% of the adults and 2% of the children. The prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia was 6% in adults (> or = 200 mg/dL) and 5% in children (> or = 130 mg/dL). Nine percent of the adults were obese (body mass index > 30 kg/m2) and 6% of the children (> 20% ref. weight). High blood pressure was found in 16% of the adults and 17% of the children.

Because of the high prevalence of risk factors in childhood, primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases should start as soon as children start school.