Cross-sectional cohort multicentral study “RUSICH” Russian universal screening of total cholesterol in children of the European part of Russia

Abstract. Screening for hypercholesterolemia in children is important for the early atherosclerosis prevention’s initiation. No screening for hypercholesterolemia in children in Russia has been conducted to date. Objective . To conduct universal screening for total cholesterol in a randomized sample of children aged 10 years to 10 years and 11 months across eight regions of the Russian Federation. Materials and methods . Cross-sectional, multicenter cohort study was conducted, during which 15,557 children aged 10 years to 10 years and 11 months (49.5% boys, 50.5% girls) were examined. The study protocol included obtaining informed consent, administering a questionnaire, analyzing Form F-112/U, anthropometric measurements with assessment using WHO AnthroPlus, testing for total cholesterol levels using a rapid method with the MultiCare-in device (Italy). Results . When total cholesterol levels were assessed from capillary blood, 39.1% ( n =6,165) of the children had normal levels (up to 4.4 mmol/L, inclusive), borderline values (4.5–5.1 mmol/L) were found in 28.6% ( n =4,510), and high levels ( ≥ 5.2 mmol/L) were observed in 32.4% ( n =5,112) of children. Statistically significant association was found between high total cholesterol levels and a family history of cardiovascular disease. Association between high cholesterol levels and obesity (6.0%), moderate protein-energy malnutrition (4.7%), and severe protein-energy malnutrition (1.2%) was found. High levels of physical activity were not associated with a reduction in cholesterol levels. Conclusions . Universal cholesterol screening of children has proven effective in the population of 10-year-olds in Russia for detecting hypercholesterolemia, making it an effective tool for the early identification of patients at risk for cardiovascular disease.

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