Takahiro Nakajima writes:
Comparing patient A and patient B,
A has narrowing of the arteries but B is all right. Why is there a difference
between A and B?
First, patient A's LDL level is 165 and patient B's is 125. We can say
a good or desirable level of LDL is less than 130mg/dL and a high risk
of LDL is 160mg/dL or above. The higher the LDL cholesterol level the greater
one's risk of heart disease.
Second, patient A likes ice cream, eggs and fatty meats. Patient A must
limit his intake of saturated fats (ice cream) and high cholesterol foods.
And when A eats meat, A must choose lean cuts and cut down on the amount
of meat he eats. Patient B likes white bread and cheese. B had better eat
whole grain bread and low fat cheese instead of her favorite fatty foods.
Third, patient A does little or no exercise but Patient B likes to ride
her bicycle on weekends. A must do more exercise to keep a healthy life.
And B should increase her amount of exercise as well.
Fourth, patient B smokes a little, and she is overweight. And there is
a history of diabetes in her family. Comparing A and B and considering
these factors alone, B has a bigger risk of heart disease.
Last, there is an age and sex difference between A and B. B is 35 years-old
but even though A is younger, since he is a male he has a risk factor for
developing heart disease, especially when we take into account his current
narrowing of the arteries.
Considering all these differences, patient A is at higher risk than B.
But there are a lot of risk factors for patient B. Both patients must check
their cholesterol level frequently, and pay attention to keeping a low
level of cholesterol. If they don't pay attention to their health, Patient
A may be in a more serious situation and he could develop another illness
connected with high LDL levels and high calories. Perhaps he will become
fat and may develop other problems, and if this happens, he cannot live
so long. Patient B must pay attention more, too. Because her family has
a history of diabetes and she is overweight. She must reduce her daily
calorie-intake. Generally, an adult man has 2,000 calories a day and an
adult woman has 1,800 calories a day. These amounts are good for their
health. So she must tend to eat low-fat food instead of ordinary food.
If they improve their daily life habits, Patient A's disease will recover
and Patient B will keep good health. Both patients may live longer. To
improve their daily life is a very difficult thing for them to do by themselves
so they had better go to a diet specialist and receive good advice.
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