Question

Scenario: A patient presents to the office for her annual physical.  During the Review of Systems (ROS) portion of the physical, the patient reveals that she has had periodic shortness of breath, primarily during exertive activities.  The patient also stated her level of physical activity is minimal to none and she described her diet as “take out or from freezer.”  Based off this scenario and the following lab results, answer the questions: Diagnostic / Lab Results Date Type Notes Provider Verified 12/17/2008 Path/Lab Lipid Panal: SPN Total Cholesterol: 209 mg/dL HDL 50 mg/dL LDL 118 mg/dL VLDL 26 mg/Dl Triglycerides 205 mg/dL Chol/HDL Ratio 4.18 mg/dL

QUESTION 1

1. Based on the lab results above, explain what this patient is diagnosed with hyperlipidemia and why they are more at risk of heart disease. Cite specific results in your answer.  Your response should be less than 100 words.

Answer 1

The patient is diagnosed with hyperlipidemia because the patient is having total cholesterol above normal level, High LDL, High triglycerices and normal HDL.

Hyperlipidemia is defined as the condition in which there are high levels of fat particles ( lipids) in blood. Lipids include cholesterol and triglycerides. These substance can deposit in blood vessel walls and restrict blood flow. This creates a risk of heart attack and stroke.

HDL is known as good cholesterol because it picks up cholesterol and takes it back to the liver for disposal

Normal level of HDL = 50mg/dL or higher. Here the patient is having normal amount of HDL

Normal level of triglycerides =150-199 mg/dL. Here triglycerides level is high

Normal level of total cholesterol =125 to 200mg/dL, Here the patient has a slight increase in total cholesterol

Normal LDL level is less than 100 mg/dL, The patient have a high LDL , thereby increasing the risk for heart diseases. LDL carries cholesterol to the parts of the body that need it. It's sometimes referred to as bad cholesterol because if you have too much of it in your blood stream, it can cling to the walls of your arteries, eventually clogging them.

Narrowed or blocked arteries can prevent blood reaching the heart, brain or other organs. This can lead to stroke, heartattack or even heart failure

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