Question

Which patient, 1 or 2, has a greater chance of developing heart disease?

Patient 1 is a 40‐year‐old African American male
who is 5 feet 10 inches in height and who weighs
175 pounds. He has never had any major
surgeries or procedures, and there is no history
of heart disease in his family. He does not and
has never smoked, and he does not have
diabetes. His total cholesterol is 180 mg/dL and
his HDL is 65 mg/dL. His blood pressure averages
110/60, and he does not take medicine for high
blood pressure. He exercises about 180 minutes
of moderately intense exercise each week. He
eats 1 serving of animal products (meat/dairy)
and 2 to 4 servings of fruits and vegetables per
day.

Patient 2 is a 40‐year‐old Caucasian female who
is 5 feet 3 inches in height and who weighs 150
pounds. She has never had any major surgeries or
procedures, but her aunt and grandmother have
both had heart attacks. She currently smokes and
has smoked for several years, but she does not
have diabetes. Her total cholesterol is 250 mg/dL
and her HDL is 38 mg/dL. Her blood pressure
averages 140/100, and she does not take any
medication for it. She does not exercise at all. She
eats 2 servings of animal products (meat/dairy)
and about 1 serving of fruits and vegetables per
day.

Answer 1

Patient 2

Step-by-step explanation:

I'm not totally sure about the cholesterol, HDL, and blood pressure, but just looking at the fact that patient 2 doesn't exercise, eats less fruits and veggies, and has some history of heart attacks in her family leads me to believe she has a greater chance of developing heart disease.