Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for Canadians and was responsible for 11.6% of the total cost of illness in Canada in 2009. End stage heart disease often results in heart attack or stroke in adulthood, but recent research strongly suggests that heart disease progression begins in childhood. Identifying children at risk of developing heart disease early on in life could significantly reduce the burden of adult onset heart disease. Current guidelines for children rely on assessing 'traditional' blood cholesterol levels, including "bad cholesterol" [also known as low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)]. However, bad cholesterol is often normal in overweight or obese children, which suggests that other cholesterol sources may be involved in heart disease progression. Recent studies have shown that dietary fats (derived from the intestine) can elevate 'remnant cholesterol' and contribute to heart disease. Our laboratory has previously shown that overweight children have very high levels of remnant cholesterol, which might explain how some children might be at risk of developing heart disease. It has already been established that elevated blood lipids [remnant cholesterol and triglycerides (TG)] in adults is an independent predictor of heart disease. However, it is unclear what contribution elevated remnant cholesterol has to heart disease development in adolescents. In the present study we aim to assess the relationship of remnant cholesterol to other heart disease risk markers in a large group of adolescents. Findings from this study will help us better understand the mechanisms underlying early heart disease development and lead to improved prevention and screening strategies for children to reduce early adult onset heart disease.