The patient says to the nurse, "My doctor says I have heart disease and I need to decrease cholesterol in my diet. How did this happen?" What is the best response by the nurse?

Question

1. "The arteries around your heart are narrowed by low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol buildup in them."
2. "Low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is converted to saturated fat, which is stored in your coronary arteries."
3. "It is a good idea to decrease low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in your diet, although current research has not proven a correlation yet."
4. "Too much low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol narrows all the arteries in your body so your heart does not receive enough blood to be healthy."

Answer 1

1
Rationale 1: Storage of cholesterol in the lining of coronary blood vessels contributes to plaque buildup and atherosclerosis; this contributes significantly to coronary artery disease.
Rationale 2: Low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is not converted to saturated fat and stored in the coronary arteries.
Rationale 3: For several years, research has demonstrated a correlation between high levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) and coronary artery disease.
Rationale 4: Coronary artery disease is caused by plaque buildup in the coronary arteries, not the peripheral arteries.
Global Rationale: Storage of cholesterol in the lining of coronary blood vessels contributes to plaque buildup and atherosclerosis; this contributes significantly to coronary artery disease. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is not converted to saturated fat and stored in the coronary arteries. Coronary artery disease is caused by plaque buildup in the coronary arteries, not the peripheral arteries. For several years, research has demonstrated a correlation between high levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) and coronary artery disease.