Nutrition Intervention for Hyperlipidemia
Florence, 58 years old, has been healthy all of her adult life until recently. Two months ago she had her
gallbladder removed for an acute gallstone attack; this was her first surgery. She was told this week by her
physician that she has high cholesterol and needs to pursue dietary treatment for six weeks. At the end of six
weeks, her cholesterol will be re-tested and her physician will make a decision regarding the possible
prescription of lipid-lowering medications. Florence is very disappointed by this second health concern in such
a short amount of time. She is 30 pounds lighter than she was last year, when her cholesterol was normal.
Both of her parents passed away from vascular diseases. For exercise, Florence attends resistance training
classes three times a week and she is starting to do cardio exercise (walking). Currently Florence is 5’ 8.25”
and weighs 203#. Her waist circumference is 38.5”. Her most recent labs were: total cholesterol = 252 mg/dL,
LDL cholesterol = 166 mg/dL, HDL cholesterol = 40 mg/dL, triglycerides = 133 mg/dL. She expresses the need
to get better as she is the primary caregiver for an adult son with schizophrenia and her husband, who is ill with
complications from diabetes. Her food recall shows a limited intake of fruits and vegetables, approximately 15
grams of fiber daily, limited dairy intake, and frequent consumption of foods high in saturated fat.
Questions:
1. What is Florence’s BMI?
2. What risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) are present in this case?
3. List dietary recommendations to assist her with lowering her cholesterol levels and reducing her risk for CHD.
