Discretion Advised When Lowering the Serum Lipid Levels of Children

Sir.—Issues have been raised involving the use of drugs that lower the lipid level and reduce the serum cholesterol level in the general adult population,¹ as well as in infants and children at risk for future development of high serum cholesterol levels.² Toward the same goal, dietary modifications have been introduced in the United States that have resulted in increased consumption of polyunsaturated fats (USF) between 1960 and 1975.³ Linoleic acid intakes from infant formulas have also increased since 1970.⁴ This approach to the treatment of hypercholesterolemia may shift a patient's balance toward lipoprotein deficiency, especially during growth and development, and while a great deal is known about the pathologic consequences of hypercholesterolemia, the consequences of hypocholesterolemia are unknown.

We wish to bring the following experimental results to the attention of clinicians interested in reducing serum cholesterol levels. Diets rich in USF⁵ and diets