Question

Martha is a 56 year-old secretary. her father died of a heart attack at the age of 45. martha reports that her ldl cholesterol has been recorded at 125 mg/dl. her triglycerides are 250 due to prescribed estrogen to combat menopausal symptoms. her bmi is 25. she reports that she has an active lifestyle that includes golf, tennis, and a daily walking routine.

(a) identify martha’s risk factor(s) for cardiovascular disease.
(b) determine which risk factor(s) are controllable or uncontrollable.

Answer 1

a) Risk factors are factors which make a person more susceptible to a disease. Here, Martha's father died due to heart attack so her genetics is one risk factor. She is also combating menopause. One of the characteristics of menopause is the increase in LDL or "bad" cholesterol. So, menopause is another risk factor for her. She also has a desk job which limits her physical activity putting her at risk again. Hence genetics, age, gender and job are all risk factors for Martha. As a result, her triglyceride levels are high and BMI is also touching the overweight range.

b) Genetics is a hereditary concept and a person has no control over it. Similarly, age and gender are not in the control of a person hence these are the uncontrollable risk factors for Martha. However, her sedentary job is her choice and it can also be changed hence it is a controllable risk factor.