Roslyn is 36 years of age, weighs 74 kg, is 165 cm tall, and has 35% body fat. Her father had a heart attack at age 68 and her brother had an angioplasty at age 40. Both are living and well. Her blood chemistry values measure total cholesterol at 195 mg% and HDL cholesterol at 42 mg%. Her fasting blood sugar is 105 mg%. Roslyn is sedentary and has engaged in no endurance training program since college. Think about and state Roslyn's cardiovascular risk factors. What would you suggest she do to improve any risk factors of concern?


Answer: Her cholesterol levels and blood pressure seem to be within good levels. However, her sedentary lifestyle and inactivity is a cardiovascular risk factor. Her BMI is also 27.2, which would be considered in the overweight category, which is also a cardiovascular risk factor. Her fasting blood sugar is also a little high, in the pre-diabetes level which is another cardiovascular risk factor. Additionally, the fact that she has had close relatives with cardiovascular disease (heart attack, angioplasty), also raises concerns. I would suggest that she live a less sedentary lifestyle, and eat healthier as well.