Cardiovascular Risk Factors “In almost every year since 1900, cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been the number-one cause of death in the United States. Nearly 2500 Americans die of CVD each day, an average of one death every 25 seconds. The disease kills more people than the next four causes of death combined, including cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, accidents, and diabetes” (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2010, p. 704). In order to manage the disease effectively, it is of major importance to identify risk factors. The purpose of this paper is to discuss several cardiovascular risk factors and how they contribute to the pathophysiology of CVD.
Patient Profile Mrs. G.Y. is a 71-years old Hawaiian female of Chinese descent, admitted to the hospital for chest pain. Upon admission to the hospital, she was complaining of generalized weakness, chest pain, and dyspnea with any physical activity. Her health history includes: hypertension, cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, aortic stenosis and osteoporosis. Past surgical procedures include tubal ligation. She is on a cardiac diet, is allergic to aspirin, never smoked, and never used illegal drugs.
Cardiovascular Risk Factors By taking a quick glance at her medical record, she is at risk for cardiovascular disease, due to the fact that she is a postmenopausal female, over 65, has hypertension, she lives a sedentary life, and she has aortic stenosis. Other cardiovascular risk factors include cigarette smoking and obesity, but fortunately she does not smoke, nor is she obese.
Mrs. G.Y. is 71 years old, and several physiologic changes occur with aging, and these changes result in a loss of cardiac reserve. Some of these physiologic changes include calcification of mitral and aortic valves, left ventricle increases in size, becomes less distensible and stiff. Fibrotic changes in the left ventricle decrease the