As many as one in five American adolescents has LDL （bad） cholesterol levels that are too high and HDL （good） cholesterol levels that are too low -- a fact that many doctors say means that it may be time to start regular cholesterol screening as part of back-to-school check-ups.

    American teens -- already identified as too often out-of-shape and overweight -- are also at risk for cholesterol problems once thought to be seen only in the middle-aged.

    The CDC, which released the new cholesterol findings the Jan. 22 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, said high triglyceride levels are also a problem for adolescents.

    The numbers come from a nationwide survey conducted from 1999 through 2006 known as the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey （NHANES）. This survey found that 20.3 percent of 12- to 19-year-olds had higher-than-normal levels of LDL cholesterol or triglycerides, or low levels of HDL cholesterol.

    But solutions may be more difficult. "This problem is self-induced -- perhaps with some genetic predisposition -- and therefore can be self-corrected," said Zanga, who is chief of pediatrics at Medical College of Georgia in Columbus. "Americans must take major responsibility for their health. Diet, exercise [and] non-smoking lifestyle is what these children need."

    Moreover, the numbers suggest bigger problems ahead for the American healthcare system, said Barbara Moore, president and CEO of Shape Up America.

    "They suggest that 15 or 20 years down the road, when we expect these young people to be productive, hard-working adults contributing to society, they will instead be disabled, crippled by heart attacks, strokes and facing expensive treatments, surgery and rehabilitation. This is not a pretty picture."

    應該檢測青少年的高血脂嗎

    每五個美國青少年中就有一人有低密度脂蛋白（對人體有害）含量過高而高密度脂蛋白水平過低（對人體有益）的 .針對這種實際情況許多醫生建議說，目前應該著手對在校生進行定期的膽固醇熒光檢測，并把它列為體檢的一部分。

    根據美國疾病預防控制中心一項新的報告顯示，美國青少年中形體異常和超重的現象非常常見 ,由膽固醇高而引發的疾病風險也只有到中年時期才被發現。疾病預防控制中心在1月第22期疾病的周發病率和死亡率中發布了新的膽固醇檢測報告，對青少年來說高甘油三酯水平也是一個不小的問題。

    這組數字來自于1999年--2006年全國性的調查也被稱為國家健康和營養檢測調查（NHANES）.這項調查顯示，20.3%的12至19歲的青少年中低密度脂蛋白或甘油三酯水平會高于正常范圍，或高密度脂蛋白含量低。

    但是，解決此問題可能會更加困難，贊加，他是哥倫布喬治亞醫學院兒科主任，他說"這個問題是自我導致的 , 也許會有某些遺傳因素在內 , 因此可以采取自我糾正的措施。"他還說：" 美國人必須為他們的健康負主要責任，飲食、運動和非吸煙的生活方式都是兒童所需要的。"

    此外，這組數字對于美國醫療系統來說將面臨著更多的問題，總裁兼美國首席形勢執行官巴巴拉姆說："醫生的報告和建議還表明，15年或20年后我們會看到這些青年人將走這樣一條路，當我們希望這些青年人成為生產、勞動、奉獻社會的成年人時，他們卻由于患心臟病，中風等而成為了殘廢，同時還要面對昂貴的醫療、手術和康復費用，這簡直是一幅悲慘的圖畫。"