Effect of infancy-onset dietary intervention on salivary cholesterol of children: A randomized controlled trial

This study investigated salivary cholesterol of children from 6 to 16 years of age in response to dietary intervention. one thousand sixty-two infants started in the prospective,randomized project. at 3 years of age,every fifth child was invited into the study (n = 178). of these,148 enrolled,and 86 completed the oral sub-study at 16 years of age. the intervention aimed at restricting the child's saturated fat and cholesterol intake. control children received no special recommendations. every third year,paraffin-stimulated saliva samples (10.0 ml) were collected for cholesterol assays. nutrient intakes and serum total cholesterol concentrations were regularly followed up by means of 4-day food records and blood samples. intake of saturated fatty acids (safa) was lower in the intervention than in the control group (p<0.001). salivary cholesterol concentration increased from 1.9 (± 1.1) μmol/l at 6 years of age to 16.0 (± 9.0) μmol/l at 16 years of age. the increase was smaller in the intervention than in the control group (p<0.001). the ratios of salivary to serum cholesterol concentrations tended to be higher in boys than in girls (p = 0.07). thus,dietary intervention was reflected in children's salivary cholesterol values more sensitively than in serum cholesterol values. (clinicaltrials.gov nct00223600). © international & american associations for dental research.