Which children should have cholesterol tests: Children between 2 and 10 with a family history of inherited cholesterol disease or with parents or grandparents who got heart disease at an early age. Screening is also advised for children who are overweight or have other heart disease risk factors, and for those whose family history isn't known.

Which children doctors should consider putting on cholesterol-lowering drugs: Children at least 8 years old who have too much LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, along with other risky conditions, including obesity and high blood pressure. Overweight children with too little HDL, the "good" cholesterol, should improve their diet and boost activity.

Other advice from the academy: Instead of whole milk, low-fat milk -- with 1 percent or 2 percent milk fat -- is preferable for children at least 12 months old who are overweight or whose family has a history of obesity or heart disease.