Introduction

The first medical condition present in our patient is Coronary Heart Disease. This disease

is caused by the buildup of plaque in the arteries which supply blood to the heart and other parts

of the body. The plaques are made up of deposits of cholesterol and other substances in the

artery. The buildup will cause the arteries to narrow over time, which can block the blood flow,

this is known as atherosclerosis. If not properly managed it can lead to many consequences

including chest pain, heart attacks, or heart failure. CHD is the most common type of heart

disease in the United States. As of 2013, the American Heart Association states that Coronary

Heart Disease is the cause of death for people who are age 65 or older for 80% of the general

population. The 60-79 year old age group with CHD: 21% are men, 10.6% are women. The 80+

year old age group with CHD: 34.6% are men, 18.6% are women. Our patient is Hispanic and

white, meaning she falls under the 7.4% of hispanic adults with heart disease. In comparison to

the general population, our patient has a less of a chance of death than the non-hispanic black

adults and non-hispanic white adults leading the death rates for heart disease with 208.0 and

168.9 deaths per 100,000 persons.

The second medical condition present in our patient is Gastric reflux disease also known

as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This occurs when the acid from the stomach returns

frequently back into the tube connecting your mouth and stomach known as the esophagus. This

acid reflux can damage the lining of your esophagus. If GERD is not properly managed there

will be consequences that include chest pain, difficulty swallowing, regurgitation of food, lump

in your throat, or burning sensation in your chest during the night and while eating. The percent

of older adults that are affected by GERD is 14-25%. This occurs in 8% of men and 15% of
women age 65 years or older. The prevalence in white and black people in the United States have

a high prevalence of GERD symptoms, 43% black and 34% white. This results in the other races

being 23%. Our patient has a lower rate of GERD symptoms in comparison to the majority of the

general population.

History-

The patient being a retired teacher can bring many financial difficulties leading to the stress and

inability to help herself in the day to day life. This is due to the lack of benefits teachers are

given making it difficult for retirement. Attending therapy is the way the patient copes with the

difficult times and being isolated from the family would allow for the patient to cause “less

stress” on them. The patient living next to the highway has been unhealthy for her respiratory

system which has an influence on the chest pains becoming worse in addition to the CHD and

GERD.

Works Cited

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart disease risk factors. Atlanta, GA.

Available from: ​https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/risk_factors.htm​.

“Coronary Artery Disease | CAD.” ​MedlinePlus​, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8

Apr. 2019, ​https://medlineplus.gov/coronaryarterydisease.html​.

“Coronary Artery Disease.” ​Mayo Clinic​, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and

Research, 16 May 2018,

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronary-artery-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-2

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consultant360.Com​, March 2009.

https://www.consultant360.com/articles/gastroesophageal-reflux-disease-older-adults-what-differ

ence​.

“Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).” ​Mayo Clinic​, Mayo Foundation for

Medical Education and Research, 23 Oct. 2019,

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gerd/symptoms-causes/syc-20361940​.

El-Serag, Hashem B, et al. “Gastroesophageal Reflux among Different Racial Groups in

the United States.” ​Gastroenterology​, U.S. National Library of Medicine, June 2004,

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15188164.

Will, Madeline. “Why Retired Teachers Struggle to Make Ends Meet.” ​PBS,​ Public

Broadcasting Service, 9 May 2019,

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/making-sense/why-retired-teachers-struggle-to-make-e

nds-meet​.