Question

Difficulty: MediumLifestyle Choices

A nurse at a community health fair is educating a healthy 45-year-old client about lifestyle modifications for cardiovascular health. The client, whose parents both have hypertension, asks for strategies to avoid developing the condition. Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?

  1. Maintaining a normal body weight and engaging in brisk walking for thirty minutes most days of the week is highly recommended.Answer
  2. B
    Undergoing an annual electrocardiogram and fasting lipid panel will prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease.
  3. C
    Since increased blood pressure is an inevitable part of the aging process, your main focus should be on resting when fatigued.
  4. D
    Why are you so worried about your parents' medical history when your own vital signs are perfectly normal?

Answer

The nurse should recommend maintaining a normal body weight and engaging in brisk walking for thirty minutes most days of the week.
The correct response promotes primary prevention through modifiable lifestyle factors. Lifestyle choices, including maintaining a healthy body mass index and participating in regular aerobic activity, are evidence-based interventions that effectively lower the risk of developing hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the client's request in the clinical scenario.
The client is asking for strategies to avoid developing hypertension, which requires identifying primary prevention lifestyle modifications.
Understanding the client's goal ensures the nurse provides accurate, actionable, and therapeutic education.
2
Evaluate the nursing responses against evidence-based practice and therapeutic communication standards.
Only the recommendation for weight management and aerobic exercise serves as a primary prevention lifestyle choice.
The other options incorrectly identify screenings as preventative, falsely attribute pathology to normal aging, or use non-therapeutic communication blocks.

Key Concept

Primary Prevention through Lifestyle Modifications
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