Intraindividual variability of children's blood lipid and lipoprotein concentrations: a review

Of the numerous risk factors that have been associated with atherosclerosis and subsequent coronary heart disease, none have caught the public's attention more than plasma cholesterol. An increasing number of studies are focusing on intervention strategies aimed at "improving" the plasma lipid-lipoprotein profile of children. However, the efficacy of these strategies cannot be ascertained unless the biologic and analytic variability of these metabolites has been determined. From the limited available literature, it would appear that the biologic variability of total cholesterol, high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triacylglycerol in children is similar to that reported for adults. Yet studies that have directly focused on this important issue with children are scarce, especially those that have included a representative sample and measurements of lipoprotein subfractions. Further research is warranted with children to better establish the extent of intraindividual variation associated with the lipid-lipoprotein profile.