Anatomy & Physiology, Patient Conversation

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A Patient Conversation About Cholesterol Patience Smith Anatomy & Physiology SC121-06 Dr. Donald Cragen Dr. Smith: Good Afternoon Mr. Brown! I have you in my office this afternoon to speak about the test we performed a couple weeks ago on you checking your cholesterol levels. Mr. Brown: Yes Doctor, I am concerned that I have a problem with my cholesterol levels and I don’t really understand what it all means! Dr. Smith That’s what we are here for Mr. Brown. We will hopefully get rid of all your fears about your cholesterol levels and get you on a path to a very stable future. Mr. Brown So what did my levels say? Dr. Smith Let me tell you the test results and then we will go over them one by one. That ok with you? These are your levels: Triglycerides 145 mg/dL Cholesterol 210 mg/dL HDL 33 mg/dL LDL 160 mg/dL Mr. Brown Ok, now I am really confused and worried. Please explain everything that you can to me! Dr. Smith Your triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood. When you eat, your body converts any calories it doesn’t need to use right away into triglycerides. Later, when you need them, hormones release them for energy between meals. If you eat more calories than you burn on a regular basis, then you may have high triglycerides which is called hypertriglyceridemia. Normal levels are less than 150 ml/dL. This is where you are Mr. Brown. You have normal levels of triglycerides. So do you have any questions about this test and result? Mr. Brown No Dr., not so far, you are doing a great job of explaining to me in layman’s terms! Dr. Smith Now triglycerides and cholesterol are separate types of lipids that circulate in your blood. Triglycerides store unused calories and provide your body with energy and cholesterol is used to build cells and certain hormones. Cholesterol is a waxy, fatlike substance that the body

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