Prevalence of Medication Use in Children for Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction

Recently there has been concern regarding the prevalence of medication use in children to manage the same cardiometabolic risk factors that traditionally begin in adulthood, but are now more prevalent in children. Two studies have been published reporting the actual prevalence of medication use in children to treat the conditions of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Both studies report that the overall prevalence of medication use among children to manage these conditions is increasing. Concurrently, physical activity levels and healthy eating habits in children are decreasing and the incidence of obesity is increasing. Although medications used to treat cardiometabolic risks are important for preventing future cardiovascular disease, greater resources should be dedicated toward lifestyle medicine–related treatment and prevention efforts in this population to improve the future health of these individuals and the general health of America.