High Cholesterol Testing

After reading that the healthcare elves were going to add testing for cholesterol for children near the age of puberty to the list of "free preventive" checkups, I decided the least I could do was to read the entire article before sacrificing yet another brain cell to outrage.  I found no comfort.   The "free" test actually costs the system between $50-80 a pop.   Less than 1% were likely to indicate medication.   My instincts suggest that less than half of the parents would even consider giving their 12 year olds statins for life.  Under current testing protocol, the elves estimate that as high as 37% of those indicating medication could be missed.   Okay, 37% of 1% equals about one-third of 1% and then adjusting for parental decisions only one-sixth of 1 % of those needing medication would miss out on life-long statins.  I could be wrong but my estimate of how many 12 year olds die from high-cholesterol would be ZERO.  I read on.  About 10% would fall in the riskier category indicating the wisdom of adopting a low-fat, high fiber diet and extra exercise.   My estimate of 12 year olds lasting on such a diet for more than a week, if that long, would again hover around ZERO.  Any 12 year old not running around enough to get the proper amount of exercise is probably already addicted to internet games and won't be moved.

Disclaimer:  I do not want children to be deprived of adequate health care, but this test should not have gone beyond a mere vision in the head of the one who held a patent on the testing machine.