Paper Example on Hypercholesterolemia

Dietary Priority

Mr. Jin Wong is taking the wrong meals for a person of his age and health. He already has high cholesterol, diverticulitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). From the case study, Mr. Wong prefers fast food that his son carries to the house since it is more palatable than that which Jessica prepares at home. However, his condition is deteriorating despite him being on medication for each disease. The doctor has prescribed mucilax powder 14g per day and hyoscine butylbromide 80mg a day but he still experiences alternating episodes of constipation and diarrhea. Therefore, his diet does not support his treatment process, and his sone needs education on the kind of diet to give to their sick father.

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Hypercholesterolemia is a chronic condition that predisposes people of all ages to cardiovascular diseases. Diet has been identified as an important factor in determining the cholesterol content in the blood. Fast foods, in particular, contain high levels of low density cholesterol that is responsible for the formation of fat plaques in blood vessels (Marlatt et al., 2016). Liquid chromatographic assays have found chicken nuggets to contain high amount of cholesterol (Albuquerque et al., 2016). Furthermore, a study by Anand et al. (2015) found out that food consumption has a significant effect on the development of cardiovascular disease. The vast scholarly evidence correlating food and the development of cardiovascular diseases is the basis on which diet is considered a nursing priority in Mr. Wong's case. The presence of high cholesterol in blood is among the first step in the development of coronary artery disease. With the plethora of lifestyle diseases that have attacked Mr. Wong, the addition of heart disease would be life-threatening for this patient. A recent study showed that asthma attacks are associated with lack of dietary fiber that is obviously lacking in Mr. Wong's diet (Thorbun et al., 2015). Being a COPD patient, he is at a risk of getting asthma attacks if he continues with his current diet.

Abdominal Pain and Bloating

The case study also proves that gastrointestinal problems take a toll on the quality of life that Mr. Wong leads. The bloating associated with abdominal pain can be life-threatening since it might exacerbate the chest tightness associated with COPD. Therefore, abdominal pain and bloating is another concern that a nurse should take when assessing Mr. Wong. The patient complains of gastrointestinal discomfort even after taking medications for this condition. Therefore, there must be an underlying issue that cannot be solved through conventional medication. The primary cause of Mr. Wong' abdominal pain is diverticulitis. There is an antispasmodic agent that the doctor has prescribed for him. However, it is evident that his diet is acting as the stumbling block to his wellness. Madhu et al. (2017) through a study proved that natural fiber is a potent laxative and a cure for diverticulitis-associated constipation. These findings are reinforced by a study by Lam at al. (2017) which shows that colonic motility is enhanced when ingested food contains high water content. Fast food which is Mr. Wong's favorite lacks these two essential characteristics. Fries and chicken, for instance, are dehydrated through deep frying. Additionally, meals vended in a fast food joint do not normally contain fiber. To address bloating and abdominal pain, Ming must stop bringing fast food into the house forthwith. Furthermore, he must monitor his father's diet every time he visits the country club to meet his friends.

References

Albuquerque, T. G., Oliveira, M. B. P., Sanches-Silva, A., & Costa, H. S. (2016). Cholesterol determination in foods: Comparison between high performance and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography. Food chemistry, 193, 18-25.Anand, S. S., Hawkes, C., De Souza, R. J., Mente, A., Dehghan, M., Nugent, R., ... & Kromhout, D. (2015). Food consumption and its impact on cardiovascular disease: importance of solutions focused on the globalized food system: a report from the workshop convened by the World Heart Federation. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 66(14), 1590-1614.

Lam, C., Chaddock, G., Marciani, L., Costigan, C., Paul, J., Cox, E., ... & Taylor, S. (2016). Colonic response to laxative ingestion as assessed by MRI differs in constipated irritable bowel syndrome compared to functional constipation. Neurogastroenterology & Motility, 28(6), 861-870.

Madhu, C., Krishna, K. M., Reddy, K. R., Lakshmi, P. J., & KumarKelari, E. (2017). Estimation of Crude Fibre Content from Natural Food Stuffs and its Laxative Activity Induced in Rats. Int. J. Pharma. Res. Health Sci, 5(3), 1703-06.

Marlatt, K. L., Farbakhsh, K., Dengel, D. R., & Lytle, L. A. (2016). Breakfast and fast food consumption are associated with selected biomarkers in adolescents. Preventive medicine reports, 3, 49-52.

Thorburn, A. N., McKenzie, C. I., Shen, S., Stanley, D., Macia, L., Mason, L. J., ... & Chevalier, N. (2015). Evidence that asthma is a developmental origin disease influenced by maternal diet and bacterial metabolites. Nature communications, 6, 7320.