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Risk Factors in Coronary Artery Disease

Management Plan

The patient's condition could be managed by modifying the associated risk factors and changes as follows:

• Low fat diet
• Regular aerobic exercise
• Relaxation therapy
• Medication

The clinician recommended that the patient consume a low fat diet. He also encouraged the patient to participate in a regular exercise program. These two measures can limit atherosclerosis and reverse the process of coronary artery disease. The patient was asked to monitor his lipids periodically between 6-12 weeks after initiation of therapy and to continue to monitor lipid levels every six months.

If the patient's condition does not improve within six months the clinician will then prescribe medication such as niacin and gemfibrozil. Niacin reduces total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B and lipoprotein (a), and niacin increases HDL cholesterol and LDL subparticle size.[3] Gemfibrozil reduces total triglyceride and VLDL cholesterol, and Gemfibrozil increases HDL cholesterol and LDL subparticle size.[3]

In this case, personal and family history and in conjunction with laboratory tests determined the patient's cardiovascular risk.

The clinician can now control his patient's coronary atherosclerosis by diet, exercise, and medications.