cholesterol and HTN Flashcards
what is the normal total cholesterol?
< 200
we initiate statin therapy when the ASCVD risk is
> 7.5
normal triglyceride level
<150
normal HDL level
40-60 the higher the better
normal LDL
< 100
when is the routine time to do a lipid profile on a patient?
every 5 years unless risk factors are present even increased BMI is a risk factor
clinical signs of high cholesterol
Arcus senilis
Xanthelasma (younger people- more benign in elderly)
Arcus senilis
Arcus senilis is common in older adults. It’s caused by fat (lipid) deposits deep in the edge of the cornea. Arcus senilis doesn’t affect vision, nor does it require treatment.A person with arcus senilis may notice a white, gray, or blue circle or arc around the cornea of the eye. The circle or arc will have a sharp outer border
Xanthelasma
Xanthelasma is a harmless, yellow growth that appears on or by the corners of your eyelids next to your nose. Cholesterol deposits build up under your skin to form a xanthelasma. Having xanthelasmas could be a sign of another condition, such as: Diabetes
Before we do statins
simple lifestyle modifications
2 high intensity statins that we will use as go to treatment for hyperlipidemia
atorvastatin
rousouvastatin
at higher doses
signs and symptoms to be cautious with when people are starting statins
any new muscle pain or signs and symptoms of jaundice
what statin would we use for a patient who has an elevated cholesterol and whose dad died of a cardiovascular issue at 45?
A high-risk patient is definitely at risk for a cardiovascular event so we want to use a high
intensity statin for that type of patient.
If they have new muscle pain after starting a statin what might be going on?
Rhabdomyolysis
If we suspect Rhabdomyolysis what lab level we need to order?
A creatine kinase (CK) test measures the amount of creatine kinase in your blood. Elevated CK levels may indicate skeletal muscle, heart or brain damage or degeneration — either chronic (long-term) or acute (short-term). Other names for a creatine kinase test include: CK total. CK creatine.
In someone who is experiencing Rhabdomyolysis the CK level is going to be how high?
5 times the normal limit. So, we need to stop the statin.
What if the patient comes in with jaundice after starting a new statin? For that patient what lab would you draw?
That can definitely be
some acute drug induced hepatitis.
LFT’s
If a patient is in Rhabdomyolysis and we do not discontinue their statin, what might happen?
ACUTE RENAL FAILURE ***** (you absolutely need to know this)
Usually the KEY distinguishing symptom between possibly rhabdomyolysis and acute drug
induced hepatitis is what?
that we see that intense muscle pain with rhabdomyolysis specifically, we don’t usually see that with the hepatitis side.
What should a patient not ingest if they are taking a STATIN?
Grapefruit juice
What is a CK level?
A creatine kinase (CK) test measures the amount of creatine kinase in your blood. Elevated CK levels may indicate skeletal muscle, heart or brain damage or degeneration — either chronic (long-term) or acute (short-term). Other names for a creatine kinase test include: CK total. CK creatine.
What medication do we want to use if the trigylcerides are greater than 500?
Use Fenofibrate if triglycerides > 500
a normal level of triglycerides is
under 150, but if it’s greater than 500 what might happen in our patient?
Pancreatitis
After 500 they are pretty much at a high risk;
after 1000 it is almost inevitable that they will
develop pancreatitis.
What are those two possible clinical signs that we might see on a patient with necrotizing pancreatitis?
Cullen’s and Turner’s sign.
Cullen’s sign
Cullen sign is superficial bruising in the subcutaneous fat around the umbilicus. It has been described in acute pancreatitis, rectus sheath hematoma, splenic rupture, perforated ulcer, intra-abdominal cancer, and ruptured ectopic pregnancy, and as a complication of anticoagulation.
Turner’s sign.
Grey Turner sign is a discoloration of the left flank associated with acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis.
AHA guidelines states BP should be less than
130/80
Now, in the JNC8 guidelines we are going to initiate blood pressure medication management in
those who are older than 60 when their blood pressure is?
> 150/90.
For those less than age 60 or
have chronic kidney disease or DM the cut off for BP is going to be?
140/90.
ideally with any pt with
HTN we are still going to be doing what?
lifestyle modification,
home BP logs,
and then we can
advance into medication after that point.
Which Herbal Supplement is good for the heart?
Coenzyme 10 (CoQ-10)
modifiable risk factors
we can change
smoking
obesity
poor diet
sedentary lifestyle
non-modifiable risk factors
increasing age
african american
male
family history
new c/o HTN s/sx
need to be investigated
H/A
fatigue
vision changes
normal BP
<120/80
stage 1 HTN
130-139/80-89
stage 2 HTN
> 140 or > 90
why have HTN guidelines changed?
to try to prevent longterm side effects of HTN
What if pt is hypertensive when they come to office?
3-6 months of lifestyle modifications then come back
for further evaluation with BP log
stage 1 HTN 130-139/80-89 treat?
Assess ASCVD risk to determine whether to start medication.
if ASCVD > 10% (HTN has the word TEN) go ahead and treat that BP with antiHTN meds
Goal BP when treating HTN
< 130/80
No matter what BP is, we need to address what?
1 lifestyle changes
diet
exercise
smoking cessation
When we give BP meds, what are our go-to medications?
ACE inhibitors/ ARBs
thiazide diuretics
calcium channel blockers
What are our go-to meds for African Americans?
CCBs or thiazide diuretics
ACE inhibitors end in what?
pril
Side effects of ACE inhibitors?
Use during pregnancy?
Use with kidneys?
dry, hacking cough
possible angioedema (even after 10 years)
Risk for hyperkalemia- watch potassium
Nephroprotective for MOST patient
drug of choice for stage 3 kidney patients
May see a slight worsening of the kidney function- if > 30% increase in creatinine you should DISCONTINUE
CAT X during pregnancy
Thiazide diuretics examples
HCTZ
chlorathiadone
Thiazide diuretic side effects
May increase uric acid, triglycerides, and glucose
What are some patients that may not be able to take thiazide diuretics?
Gout patients
triglyceride patients
maybe diabetic patient
severe renal dysfunction with GFR< 30
Which thiazide diuretic decreases cardiovascular risk?
chlorothiadone
Which BP meds are wonderful for patients with osteoporosis?
thiazide diuretics because they are known to hold on to that calcium, and this is better for osteoporosis patients.
What are the classes of calcium channel blockers
There are two distinct chemical classes of CCBs: the dihydropyridines (such as nifedipine and amlodipine) and the nondihydropyridines (diltiazem and verapamil).
What if a patient comes to the office with two elevated BPs and they are already on a medication?
first assess COMPLIANCE to MEDICATION, did
they have side effects that they did not tell you about, did they stop taking the medication
on their own, do they forget to take it, are they taking it?
2- If they tell you they are taking it every day and they are very diligent about it, that is
when we start to investigate another med.
With ACE inhibitors what labs do we want to monitor in our patients?
Renal fxn (BUN, and
creatinine) and also look at POTASSIUM, since they will be at a risk of hyperkalemia.
What medication will we switch to if the patient experiences that life threatening effects of
angioedema with an ACE?
ARB (angiotensin receptor blocker) ex: losartan, valsartan.
Why do we always try to start patients on an ACE first?
because ACE inhibitors specifically have been found to decrease cardiovascular events and overall mortality.
ARBs do NOT.
Who should we avoid thiazides in?
think about those patients who will NOT benefit from an increase in triglycerides, increase in uric acid or an increase in glucose; anyone having issues
with those things, probably will not be an ideal candidate for thiazides.
What comorbidity are thiazides great for?
OSTEOPOROSIS because they stimulate
those osteoblasts to make bone and they also help the body retain more calcium.
Calcium Channel Blockers; who do we want to avoid from getting these meds?
GERD patients because that vasodilation of the CCB relaxes that lower esophageal sphincter, which
allows for that stomach acid to come up out of the stomach easier, so all of their symptoms will
be worsened.
When do we use beta blockers for HTN patients?
Beta Blockers are NOT a first line medication treatment, but can be used if a person has had an
MI or something like that.
What BP med do we prefer in African Americans?
Thiazides and CCBs.
*** With CCB, what signs and symptoms do we see the patient coming complaining of ?
Ankle
edema and headache ***
For HTN what should we look for in the eyes?
we should look for Copper wire arteries and AV nicking
Copper wire arteries is when arteries begin to look red and copper in nature
AV nicking is when an artery crosses a vein and it causes it to bulge
** both of these are caused by HTN so ideally, we need to strictly control their blood pressure
and ensure it is being managed.
We can also see flame hemorrhages specifically with HTN.
Cooper wiring and AV nicking- what are these and where are they?
Silver wiring or copper wiring is where the walls of the arterioles become thickened and sclerosed causing increased reflection of the light. Arteriovenous nicking is where the arterioles cause compression of the veins where they cross. This is again due to sclerosis and hardening of the arterioles.
flame hemorrhages
Flame hemorrhages are a subset of retinal hemorrhages occurring within the retinal nerve fiber layer. They are typically in diseases affecting superficial retinal capillary plexus secondary to arterial diseases like hypertension, blood dyscrasias, and anemias.
occipital headache
typically occurs upon awakening,
This is a HYPERTENSION headache. Tx; give antihypertensives or if they are already on them
then adjust doses.
What are the three medications in pregnant women for BP control?
“New Little Mama” mnemonic
* Nifedipine
* Labetalol
* Methyldopa
Meds that are Category X in pregnant women?
ACEs and ARBs
Statins
DMARDs (methotrexate)
HLD verses HTN with ASCVD risk
HTN ASCVD> 10% HTN has the word ten in it
HLD ASCVD> 7.5%
What is out “go-to” medication for patients that have HTN and DM?
ACEs and ARBs because these meds are renal protective and we also know that HTN and DM
are the two leading causes of Kidney disease.
A patient with HTN and diabetes will likely
have metabolic syndrome as well and so what medication are we not going to give this patient?
Thiazides because we know thiazides can increase glucose levels and our patient already has
diabetes, so is definitely not a good choice.