To decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients, which measure is recommended by health care professionals?
Increase LDL Cholesterol levels.
Increase HDL cholesterol levels.
Decrease LDL Cholesterol levels.
Decrease HDL cholesterol levels.
The Correct Answer is C
LDL cholesterol is sometimes called “bad” cholesterol because it can build up on the walls of the blood vessels and cause health problems, such as heart disease and stroke. High levels of LDL cholesterol raise your risk for cardiovascular disease. Therefore, decreasing LDL cholesterol levels can lower your risk and improve your health.
Choice A is wrong because increasing LDL cholesterol levels would have the opposite effect of decreasing them. It would increase your risk for cardiovascular disease and plaque buildup in your arteries.
Choice B is wrong because increasing HDL cholesterol levels is not enough to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease. HDL cholesterol is sometimes called “good” cholesterol because it can move LDL cholesterol from the blood to the liver, where it is broken down and removed from the body.
However, HDL cholesterol levels alone are not a good indicator of your cardiovascular health. You also need to consider your total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Choice D is wrong because decreasing HDL cholesterol levels would also increase your risk for cardiovascular disease. HDL cholesterol helps to lower LDL cholesterol levels and protect your blood vessels from plaque buildup.
Therefore, decreasing HDL cholesterol levels would reduce this protective effect and make you more vulnerable to heart disease and stroke.
The ideal ranges for cholesterol levels are as follows:
• Total cholesterol: below 200 mg/dL
• LDL cholesterol: less than 100 mg/dL
• HDL cholesterol: above 40 mg/dL for men and above 50 mg/dL for women
You can lower your LDL cholesterol levels and increase your HDL cholesterol levels by making healthy lifestyle changes, such as eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, managing stress and taking medication if prescribed by your doctor.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein, which is a type of cholesterol that carries excess cholesterol from other parts of the body to the liver, where it can be removed.
HDL is sometimes called “good” cholesterol because it helps protect against heart disease.Having high HDL levels is not a characteristic of metabolic syndrome, but rather a protective factor.
Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.These conditions include:
• Low HDLs (choice A): Having low levels of HDL cholesterol is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome, as it means there is less “good” cholesterol to remove excess cholesterol from the blood vessels.
• Type II diabetes mellitus (choice B): This is a condition where the body does not use insulin properly, leading to high blood sugar levels.
Insulin is a hormone that helps the cells take up glucose from the blood.
Insulin resistance is a key feature of metabolic syndrome.
• Hypertension (choice C): This means having high blood pressure, which can damage the heart and blood vessels over time.
High blood pressure is often associated with obesity and insulin resistance, which are common in metabolic syndrome.
• Abdominal obesity (choice E): This means having excess fat around the waist and trunk, also known as central or visceral obesity.
This type of fat is more harmful than fat in other parts of the body, as it can release inflammatory substances that affect the metabolism and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Hyperglycemia (choice F): This means having high blood sugar levels, which can damage the blood vessels and organs over time.
Hyperglycemia can result from insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes, which are both components of metabolic syndrome.
The normal ranges for some of these conditions are:
• HDL cholesterol: more than 40 mg/dL for men and more than 50 mg/dL for women
• Blood pressure: less than 120/80 mmHg
• Blood sugar: less than 100 mg/dL after fasting or less than 140 mg/dL two hours after eating
• Waist circumference: less than 40 inches for men and less than 35 inches for women
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
This is because low potassium levels (hypokalemia) increase the sensitivity of the heart to digoxin and can lead to toxicity even with normal serum digoxin levels. Digoxin inhibits the sodium-potassium pump on the cardiac cells, which causes potassium to accumulate outside the cells.Low potassium levels in the blood create a larger gradient for potassium to move out of the cells, which enhances the effect of digoxin and can cause arrhythmias.
Choice B is wrong because calcium 9.2 mg/dL is within the normal range (8.5 to 10.2 mg/dL) and does not increase the risk of digoxin toxicity.However, high calcium levels (hypercalcemia) can potentiate the effects of digoxin and cause toxicity.
Choice C is wrong because sodium 140 mEq/L is within the normal range (135 to 145 mEq/L) and does not increase the risk of digoxin toxicity.However, high sodium levels (hypernatremia) can reduce the binding of digoxin to the sodium-potassium pump and decrease its efficacy.
Choice D is wrong because magnesium 2.2 mg/dL is within the normal range (1.7 to 2.4 mg/dL) and does not increase the risk of digoxin toxicity.However, low magnesium levels (hypomagnesemia) can increase the sensitivity of the heart to digoxin and cause toxicity.
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