Cholesterol homeostasis is essential to our overall health. What if you had to go to a health care provider because your cholesterol was too high? Have you ever been to a doctor's office and had a doctor or nurse communicate with you using large, "scary" words you did not understand? Similarly, have you ever had a mechanic speak to you about the inner workings of your car's engine using jargon you did not understand? The important issue is to return your cholesterol to normal levels and thus bring your body back into homeostasis, but what if you cannot understand what the provider is telling you?

You are a Physician's Assistant and you are set to meet with a patient to talk about his cholesterol panel. The patient, Mr. Brown, is a 56 year old male who leads a largely sedentary lifestyle. He has admitted, in a previous visit, that his favorite activity is sitting on the couch and eating snacks while watching sports. He has also expressed concerns that you would try to drastically change his lifestyle (which he does not want to do) if his tests came back high.

The panel that came back on Mr. Brown contains the following results:

Explain to Mr. Brown what each test is measuring and how the results should be interpreted. Also, be prepared to address the following issues with Mr. Brown:

? What are triglycerides?

? What is cholesterol?

? What are LDL and HDL?

? Where is cholesterol produced?

? What are the causes of high cholesterol?

? What are the treatments for reducing high cholesterol?

? What are the side effects of medication for treating high cholesterol?

? Do the benefits of lowering cholesterol outweigh the risks of taking medication?

? What options exist for a person to try and reduce his/her cholesterol without taking medication?

? How would you alleviate any fears Mr. Brown may have regarding his condition?

? What recommendations would you make to Mr. Brown knowing his concerns?

? What approach would you take to encourage him to make any necessary lifestyle changes?