010-111 · Question #90
Your new client is a 42 year old male who is a stock broker. His health history revealed the following: total cholesterol 185 mg/dL (4.7 mmol/L) , HDL 32 mg/dL (0.8 mmol/L), LDL 110 mg/dL (2.8…
The correct answer is A. Low risk. Applying ACSM positive risk factor thresholds to this client's data yields only one confirmed risk factor, placing him in the low risk category.
Question
Your new client is a 42 year old male who is a stock broker. His health history revealed the following:
total cholesterol 185 mg/dL (4.7 mmol/L) , HDL 32 mg/dL (0.8 mmol/L), LDL 110 mg/dL (2.8 mmol/L), resting blood pressure 138/80 mm Hg, waist circumference 98 centimeters. What is his initial risk stratification?
Options
- ALow risk
- BModerate risk
- CHigh risk
- DOnly a physician can determine this clients risk stratification
How the community answered
(31 responses)- A77% (24)
- B13% (4)
- C3% (1)
- D6% (2)
Why each option
Applying ACSM positive risk factor thresholds to this client's data yields only one confirmed risk factor, placing him in the low risk category.
Under ACSM guidelines, a client with 0-1 positive risk factors is classified as low risk. This client has exactly one positive risk factor: HDL of 32 mg/dL, which falls below the less than 40 mg/dL threshold for men. His BP of 138/80 does not reach the 140/90 mmHg cutoff, his waist circumference of 98 cm does not exceed the 102 cm male threshold, his total cholesterol of 185 is below 200, and at age 42 he has not reached the male age threshold of 45 years.
Moderate risk requires 2 or more positive risk factors; this client has only one qualifying risk factor (low HDL), so moderate risk classification overstates his risk.
High risk classification requires known or symptomatic cardiovascular, pulmonary, or metabolic disease, none of which appear in this client's history.
Certified Personal Trainers are specifically trained and credentialed to perform initial risk stratification using ACSM criteria and do not require physician input for this process.
Concept tested: ACSM pre-exercise risk stratification and positive risk factor thresholds
Source: https://www.acsm.org/education-resources/books/acsms-guidelines-for-exercise-testing-and-prescription
Topics
Community Discussion
No community discussion yet for this question.