You are an FNP working in a primary care clinic. A 55 y. o. obese female has a history of severe scoliosis, chronic back pain, and a 35 pack-year history of smoking. She recently went to a health fair and was told she had high cholesterol, so she made an appointment with you for a ‘physical.’ 1. Screening Tests: What screening tests would be offered and why?

Screening Tests include:

i) low-density lipoproteins (LDL),

ii) high-density lipoproteins (HDL)

iii) Total Cholesterol

iv) Triglycerides

v) Lipid Profile

Explanation:

Patient age = 55 years, Sex = Female, Body somatotype = Mesomorph (Obese). History/Back ground clinical conditions: severe scoliosis, Chronic low back pain. Current diagnosis = High cholesterol.

Cholesterol measurements

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that can be found in all parts of the body. It aids in the production of cell membranes, some hormones, and vitamin D. The cholesterol in the blood comes from 2 sources: the food you eat and production in your liver. However, the liver produces all of the cholesterol the body needs.

Cholesterol and other fats are transported in the bloodstream in the form of spherical particles, called lipoproteins. The 2 most commonly known lipoproteins are low-density lipoproteins (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol, and high-density lipoproteins (HDL), or "good" cholesterol.

Cholesterol screening is performed by a blood test. People with high cholesterol measurements from a blood sample have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), than those with cholesterol in the normal range. Studies have shown that people with high cholesterol can reduce their risk for heart disease by lowering their cholesterol. It is important to understand, however, that people can still have heart disease even with cholesterol levels in the normal range.

WHY?

screening test is valuable because of its ability to detect potential problems, while minimizing unclear, ambiguous, or confusing results. While screening tests are not 100% accurate in all cases, it is generally more valuable to have the screening tests at the appropriate times, as recommended by your healthcare provider, than to not have them at all. However, some screening tests, when used in people not at high risk for disease, or when testing for very rare diseases, can cause more problems than they help.

And for the patient above the screening test listed for her are necessary to help measure her cholesterol level and to guide her management appropriately.

so i really think that most of the health care industry be doing more bad than good.