Our Services

Personalized care plans

We tailor our care specifically to your child. We start by determining if your child’s lipid disorder has a genetic component by conducting a thorough assessment of your family history and performing blood cholesterol tests. We then take into account secondary medical conditions and rule out any undiagnosed problems with the thyroid, kidneys, and liver. If we suspect a genetic cause, we will discuss with you whether or not genetic testing is necessary or desired. Our evaluation can help to understand your child’s risk level for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke and guide us in creating a long-term care plan for them. After the initial evaluation and follow-up visits, we tend to see our patients anywhere from three to 12 months, depending on the care plan (virtual or in person). Ongoing evaluations often include a cardiovascular checkup; lab tests to evaluate lipids, liver, kidney, and thyroid function tests; and nutrition and exercise counseling. 

Genetic testing and counseling

Genetic testing and counseling play an important role in identifying inherited lipid disorders, which can be misdiagnosed without proper testing or go undiagnosed due to lack of symptoms. Having an accurate diagnosis leads to directed, effective treatment. Our clinic’s dedicated cardiovascular genetic counselor specializes in both child and adult care and helps you understand what a lipid disorder means for your child and your family. When a genetic cause is suspected, we can coordinate genetic testing to further assist with determining whether there is a specific underlying genetic cause. If a genetic cause is identified, we can test other family members to see if they also have the genetic cause of the lipid disorder in the family.

Weight, exercise, and nutrition support

Since lifestyle changes are a large part of controlling cholesterol conditions, we support your child’s efforts to increase exercise, eat more healthfully, and lose weight. To this end, we partner with our hospital’s Pediatric Weight Clinic, General Pediatric Nutrition Clinic, and Cardiac Rehabilitation program. We also connect families with our Pediatric Vascular Lab to evaluate vascular health in children whose lipid conditions (e.g., familial hypercholesterolemia or FH) cause arteries to stiffen and harden.