Efficacy and safety of lowering dietary intake of total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol in children with elevated LDL cholesterol : the Dietary Intervention Study in Children

Few studies have shown the efficacy and safety of lower-fat diets in children. Our objective was to assess the efficacy and safety of lowering dietary intake of total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol to decrease LDL-cholesterol concentrations in children. A 6-center, randomized controlled clinical trial was carried out in 663 children aged 8-10 y with LDL-cholesterol concentrations greater than the 80th and less than the 98th percentiles for age and sex. The children were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a usual care group. Behavioral intervention promoted adherence to a diet providing 28% of energy from total fat,