Familial hypercholesterolaemia is an inherited condition which affects about one in 500 people, where the body does not get rid of cholesterol in the usual way and as a result it accumulates.
Adults aged 20-39 years with the condition are at a 100 times increased risk of dying from coronary heart disease.
However, treatment with statins to lower cholesterol reduces the risk enormously.
Analysis of 13 studies by researchers at Barts and the London Queen Mary's School of Medicine suggests testing children would identify most cases of the disorder.
Cholesterol tests in children between one and nine years are the most accurate, because as people get older their cholesterol rises for other reasons, such as unhealthy diet.
The most obvious time to do the screening, which would involve a blood spot test, would be when children attend for their routine vaccinations at around 15 months.
For every single child with the condition, one parent would also have to be affected, so they could also be tested and treated.
Study leader Dr David Wald, a consultant cardiologist, said: "What this proposal does is suggest a way of picking up most cases in the population as whilst you're doing it in children you reach their parents as well."
He added that although children would probably not be treated with statins until they were older, they could help the risk, like anyone, by keeping a healthy weight, doing exercise, not smoking and eating a low saturated fat diet.
The team are planning a pilot to assess feasibility and staff and parent acceptance.
The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) is also looking at the issue and will report later this year on what would be the best method for identifying those with the condition.
Dr Tony Wierzbecki, chairman of Heart UK's medical scientific and research committee, said in theory it was a good idea although tests were probably even more accurate in four to six year olds.
"In children you can be fairly certain that high cholesterol is mainly due to inherited disorders.
"But I don't think there's any consensus about what age you should screen for cholesterol.
"Worldwide the view is we need to be looking for family history of early heart disease and in these people it is worthwhile doing cholesterol checks."
He added that there were also genetic tests for the gene defect which causes the condition.
17 Sept 2007
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