新奇事件簿 检测儿童胆固醇水平

Child health experts believe children should be regularly screened for cholesterol¹ levels. New guidelines² from America’s National Institutes of Health recommend the regular screening of kids between the ages of 9 and 11. Doctors say with increasing obesity³ rates in children, it is essential that steps are taken to make kids aware of their health. They say identifying high cholesterol early can prevent heart disease later on in life. Around 15 per cent of U.S. kids are overweight or obese⁴; a figure that rises to 30 per cent for teenagers. Over ten per cent of children in America have high cholesterol. The test is very simple – just a finger prick⁵ blood sample can tell doctors which children are most at risk.

儿童健康专家相信，儿童应该经常检测胆固醇水平。来自美国国立卫生研究院的最新研究建议9岁至11岁的儿童经常检测胆固醇水平。医生们表示，由于儿童肥胖率越来越高，必须采取措施让孩子们意识到健康状况。他们说，及早鉴别高胆固醇可以预防以后出现心脏病。大约15%的美国儿童超重或肥胖。在青少年中，该数字增加了30%。美国超过10%的儿童胆固醇高。该检测非常简单——一滴手指血就可以告诉医生哪一名儿童胆固醇水平比较危险。

Dr Stephen Daniels of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and one of the authors of the guidelines explained the importance of starting a screening programme: "The more we learn about heart disease and stroke in adults, the more we know that the process begins in childhood and progresses over time," he said. He believes the guidelines will help identify children who genetically⁶ are at a higher risk of having high cholesterol. Dr Daniels added: "We as pediatricians really need to get kids started on the right track and keep them in as low a risk category as possible." The guidelines recommend ways to increase the heart’s health. They say mothers should start with breast-feeding and introduce a low-fat diet for babies.

Stephen Daniels是国家心脏、肺和血液研究所一位医生，也是该指导方针的一位作者，他解释了开始检测项目的重要性：“对成年人心脏病和中风了解得越多，我们就更了解这个过程在童年时期就已经开始，而且随着时间不断发展。”他相信这些指引方针可以帮助鉴别有高胆固醇遗传基因的儿童。Daniels补充说：“作为儿科医师，我们非常需要让儿童走向正确的轨道，尽可能让他们处于低风险级别。”指引方针建议了增强心脏健康的方法。他们说，母亲们应该从母乳喂养开始，婴儿时期就选择低脂肪的饮食。

1 cholesterol   

n.（U）胆固醇

参考例句：

• There is cholesterol in the cell of body.人体细胞里有胆固醇。
• They are determining the serum-protein and cholesterol levels.他们正在测定血清蛋白和胆固醇的浓度。

2 guidelines   

n.指导方针，准则

参考例句：

• The government has drawn up guidelines on the treatment of the mentally ill. 政府制订了对待精神病人的指导方针。
• Planners seem a little uncomfortable with the current government guidelines. 规划师似乎不太接受现行的政府指道方针。

3 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

4 obese   

adj.过度肥胖的，肥大的

参考例句：

• The old man is really obese,it can't be healthy.那位老人确实过于肥胖了，不能算是健康。
• Being obese and lazy is dangerous to health.又胖又懒危害健康。

5 prick   

v.刺伤，刺痛，刺孔；n.刺伤，刺痛

参考例句：

• He felt a sharp prick when he stepped on an upturned nail.当他踩在一个尖朝上的钉子上时，他感到剧烈的疼痛。
• He burst the balloon with a prick of the pin.他用针一戳，气球就爆了。

6 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物