Age-, Sex-, and Puberty-Associated Reference Intervals for Lipid Profile in Iranian Children and Adolescents

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Cardiovascular Health
• Clinical Biochemistry

Background:

• Childhood dyslipidemia poses a significant global health risk, necessitating early identification for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention.
• Establishing accurate reference values for lipid profiles in pediatric populations is vital for clinical diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide age- and sex-specific reference values for lipid profiles in healthy Iranian children and adolescents.
• To establish reference plots for BMI, cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), HDL, TC, LDL, and non-HDL levels.
• To identify associations between lipid profiles, age, sex, and pubertal status.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study of 472 healthy Iranian children and adolescents (aged 9-18 years).
• Systematic random sampling stratified by age.
• Fasting lipid levels measured enzymatically; puberty assessed using Tanner stages via DEXA; reference plots generated using LMS Chart Maker and Excel.

Main Results:

• Girls exhibited significantly higher total cholesterol (TC), LDL, and non-HDL levels compared to boys.
• Triglycerides (TG) increased with age in both genders, while HDL, TC, LDL, and non-HDL levels declined.
• Puberty was associated with increased lipid values in both sexes, except for TG in boys.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully generated age- and sex-specific reference intervals for pediatric lipid profiles in Iran.
• These reference intervals, presented as percentiles, will serve as a valuable tool for clinicians in identifying childhood dyslipidemia.
• Early identification and management of dyslipidemia in children are critical for long-term cardiovascular health.