Answer to Question 1
If I found out my child had high blood cholesterol I would ask for a second and third laboratory measurement of his/her blood cholesterol. If all the test results demonstrated a true high blood cholesterol, then I would mirror Sherry and Bills decision and place my child on lifelong blood cholesterol-lowering medication(s).
Answer to Question 2
Evidently, Sherry tried everything, including modification of the diet and encouraging James to have more physical activity. James had 2 blood tests about 6 months apart, which means any change in his metabolism would be revealed in his blood cholesterol level. Since the blood cholesterol levels remained high, then the physician needed to take the next step. In my opinion, rather than immediately try a medication, the physician may have suggested high-dose niacin (nicotinic acid) as an intermediate and softer approach. If high-dose niacin supplementation proved ineffective, then a medication would be imperative. Any time a medication is prescribed, a consequence for a patient will be the need to cope with the particular side-effects of that medication. In this case, with James being so young, he will need to combat any drug side-effects for the rest of his life; on the other hand, his alternative would be early death from complications of cardiovascular disease. So, yes, Sherry and Bill made a wise decision.
Using a sphygmomanometer to measure blood pressure.
Blood flow in artery due to Cholesterol
JNC-VII Classification of Blood Pressure for Adults
Major Types of Hydrogen Bonds Found in Biomolecular Interactions
Primary factors affecting blood pressure
The heart and its major blood vessels. Oxygen-rich blood is pumped from the lungs to the left