A 42-year-old man with a history of Marfan syndrome presents to the emergency room with severe, sudden, tearing chest pain radiating to the abdomen and back. The pain has progressively shifted downward over the past several hours. He admits to recent cocaine use and has a history of hypertension, previously treated with hydrochlorothiazide, which he stopped due to thunderclap headaches. He also smokes one pack of cigarettes daily. Vital signs: Temperature: 99.8 °F Heart rate: 108 beats/min (right arm); 94 beats/min (left arm) Blood pressure: 198/105 mm Hg (right arm); 170/94 mm Hg (left arm) Respiratory rate: 19 breaths/min Oxygen saturation: 94% on room air Physical Examination: Asymmetric pulses Signs of intravenous drug use (track marks, scarring). Investigations: ECG: Wide QRS complexes Chest X-ray: Widened mediastinum Laboratory findings: Normal troponin and D-dimer levels Which of the following is a risk factor for aortic dissection in this patient?
A 42-year-old man with a history of Marfan syndrome presents to the emergency room with severe, sudden, tearing chest pain radiating to the abdomen and back. Over the past several hours, the pain has progressively shifted downward. He admits to recent cocaine use and has a history of hypertension, previously treated with hydrochlorothiazide, which he stopped due to thunderclap headaches. He also smokes one pack of cigarettes daily. Vital signs: Temperature: 99.8 °F Heart rate: 108 beats/min (right arm); 94 beats/min (left arm) Blood pressure: 198/105 mm Hg (right arm); 170/94 mm Hg (left arm) Respiratory rate: 19 breaths/min Oxygen saturation: 94% on room air Physical examination reveals: Asymmetric pulses Signs of intravenous drug use (track marks, scarring). Investigations: ECG: Wide QRS complexes Chest X-ray: Widened mediastinum Laboratory findings: Normal troponin and D-dimer levels Most aortic dissections are due to which of the following?
A 42-year-old man with a history of Marfan syndrome presents to the emergency room with severe, sudden, tearing chest pain radiating to the abdomen and back. The pain has progressively shifted downward over the past several hours. He admits to recent cocaine use and has a history of hypertension, previously treated with hydrochlorothiazide, which he discontinued due to thunderclap headaches. He smokes one pack of cigarettes daily. Vital signs: Temperature: 99.8 °F Heart rate: 108 beats/min (right arm); 94 beats/min (left arm) Blood pressure: 198/105 mm Hg (right arm); 170/94 mm Hg (left arm) Respiratory rate: 19 breaths/min Oxygen saturation: 94% on room air On physical examination, the patient has asymmetric pulses and signs of intravenous drug use (track marks, scarring). An electrocardiogram reveals wide QRS complexes, and a chest X-ray shows a widened mediastinum (as shown below). Laboratory findings include normal troponin and D-dimer levels.Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis in this patient?
An 82-year-old woman with a history of coronary artery disease, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and metastatic breast cancer comes to establish care. Her LDL level is 172 mg/dL, but she is unable to perform basic activities of daily living and has been admitted to hospice care with an expected survival of around 6 months. Which of the following is the most appropriate approach to treat her dyslipidemia?
A 62-year-old man with obesity, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and dyslipidemia stopped taking atorvastatin a few months ago due to muscle discomfort, night cramps, and tendon soreness. His symptoms resolved after discontinuing atorvastatin. After discussing statin-associated musculoskeletal syndrome (SAMS), he expresses a desire to restart atorvastatin at a tolerated dose. He has also made dietary changes to reduce lipid intake. What is the next step in managing his hypercholesterolemia?
Which of the following is an appropriate intervention to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in older adults with diabetes?
Which of the following is a component of long-term risk reduction in patients with unstable angina (UA) and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI)?
What is the first-line pharmacologic treatment for elevated LDL cholesterol in most individuals who are not pregnant or breastfeeding?