Drugs for children with hypercholesterolemia: be cautious.

While the efficacy in childhood of other antilipidic drugs (Bile acid-binding resins, Statins) are proved with long-term studies, the long-term efficacy of Ezetimibe in pediatric age remains to be ascertained, also using surrogate markers for atherosclerosis, as intimal-media thickness and endothelial function. More important, the recent concern about the augmented cancer risk related to the use of Ezetimibe in adults strongly raises the question about the ethics of the use of this drug in children. In any way, to avoid a misuse of Ezetimibe and to confirm the findings of the anecdotic studies published until now, it’s time to perform a randomized, multicentre. double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. Meanwhile. despite the recent liberalization by AAP, we maintain a cautious approach in the use of any antilipidic drugs in children, tailoring the treatment on the basis of individual risk.