MSN 624 LATEST 2026 EXAM QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
✔✔Beta Blockers - ✔✔- acebutolol 200-800mg daily or 2 divided doses
- betaxolol 5-20mg daily
- bisoprolol 2.5-10mg daily
- carvedilol 6.25mg BID initially -> 12.5mg BID after 1-2 weeks
✔✔Calcium Channel Blockers (CCBs) - ✔✔- amlodipine 2.5-10mg daily
- felodipine 2.5-10mg daily
- isradapine 2.5-10mg BID (2 divided doses)
✔✔Hyperlipidemia - ✔✔- usually asymptomatic until significant degrees of
atherosclerosis have occurred
- leading cause of death
✔✔Hyperlipidemia Complications - ✔✔- MI/Stroke
- ischemic cardiomyopathy
- sudden death
- erectile dysfunction (flow problem)
- PVD
- acute limb ischema
✔✔Hyperlipidemia Diagnostics - ✔✔- fasting lipid panel (> 12 hours not eating) for all
>20 y/o every 5 years
- liver panel (if meds started)
- serum TSH (hypothyroid can affect lipids)
✔✔Goal of treatment for Hyperlipidemia - ✔✔lower overall risk for ASHD
✔✔LDL Cholesterol Levels - ✔✔[primary target of therapy]
- <100 = optimal
- 100-129 = near optimal/above optimal
- 130-159 = borderline high
- 160-189 = high
- ≥ 190 = very high
✔✔Total Cholesterol Levels - ✔✔- <200 = desireable
- 200-239 = borderline high
- ≥ 240 = high
✔✔HDL Cholesterol Levels - ✔✔- <40 = low
- ≥ 60 = high
✔✔Comorbid Cardiac Risk Factors with Hyperlipidemia - ✔✔- clinical CHD
, - symptomatic carotid artery disease
- peripheral arterial disease
- abdominal aoritc aneurysm
✔✔Major Risk Factors with Hyperlipidemia - ✔✔- cigarette smoking
- HTN (BP >140/90 or anti HTN meds)
- low HDL cholesterol (< 40)
- FH of premature CHD (male <55, female <65)
- Age (men ≥ 45, women ≥ 55)
- HDL > 60 counts as a negative risk factor
✔✔Hyperlipidemia Treatment - ✔✔- patients can b allowed 3-6 months of lifestyle
modification before considering lipid-lowering drugs
- 2-3 follow up visits should be arranged to assess motivation
- statin drugs
- bile acid dequestrants
✔✔Statins - ✔✔[monitor liver enzymes]
- lovastatin 10-80mg daily
- pravastatin 10-80mg daily
- simvastatin 5-40mg daily
- fluvastatin 20-40mg daily (max = 80mg/day)
- atorvastatin 10-80mg daily
- rosuvastatin 5-40mg daily
- pitavastatin 1-4mg daily
✔✔Bile Acid Sequestrants - ✔✔- cholestryamine
- colestipol
- colesevelam
✔✔Niacin - ✔✔- 150mg daily initially
- increase by 250mg/day increments every 4-7 days to 1.5-3g/day given in 2-3 divided
doses
- after 2 months increase by 500mg/day increments every 2-4 weeks according to
response, ma 4.5g/day
✔✔Cholestryamine - ✔✔4g daily or BID (max 24g/day)
✔✔Colestipol - ✔✔-5g daily o rBID initially
- increase by 5g/day increments every 1-2 months according to response max of
30g/day
✔✔Colesevelam - ✔✔3.75g/day given in 1-2 divided doses
GRADED A+
✔✔Beta Blockers - ✔✔- acebutolol 200-800mg daily or 2 divided doses
- betaxolol 5-20mg daily
- bisoprolol 2.5-10mg daily
- carvedilol 6.25mg BID initially -> 12.5mg BID after 1-2 weeks
✔✔Calcium Channel Blockers (CCBs) - ✔✔- amlodipine 2.5-10mg daily
- felodipine 2.5-10mg daily
- isradapine 2.5-10mg BID (2 divided doses)
✔✔Hyperlipidemia - ✔✔- usually asymptomatic until significant degrees of
atherosclerosis have occurred
- leading cause of death
✔✔Hyperlipidemia Complications - ✔✔- MI/Stroke
- ischemic cardiomyopathy
- sudden death
- erectile dysfunction (flow problem)
- PVD
- acute limb ischema
✔✔Hyperlipidemia Diagnostics - ✔✔- fasting lipid panel (> 12 hours not eating) for all
>20 y/o every 5 years
- liver panel (if meds started)
- serum TSH (hypothyroid can affect lipids)
✔✔Goal of treatment for Hyperlipidemia - ✔✔lower overall risk for ASHD
✔✔LDL Cholesterol Levels - ✔✔[primary target of therapy]
- <100 = optimal
- 100-129 = near optimal/above optimal
- 130-159 = borderline high
- 160-189 = high
- ≥ 190 = very high
✔✔Total Cholesterol Levels - ✔✔- <200 = desireable
- 200-239 = borderline high
- ≥ 240 = high
✔✔HDL Cholesterol Levels - ✔✔- <40 = low
- ≥ 60 = high
✔✔Comorbid Cardiac Risk Factors with Hyperlipidemia - ✔✔- clinical CHD
, - symptomatic carotid artery disease
- peripheral arterial disease
- abdominal aoritc aneurysm
✔✔Major Risk Factors with Hyperlipidemia - ✔✔- cigarette smoking
- HTN (BP >140/90 or anti HTN meds)
- low HDL cholesterol (< 40)
- FH of premature CHD (male <55, female <65)
- Age (men ≥ 45, women ≥ 55)
- HDL > 60 counts as a negative risk factor
✔✔Hyperlipidemia Treatment - ✔✔- patients can b allowed 3-6 months of lifestyle
modification before considering lipid-lowering drugs
- 2-3 follow up visits should be arranged to assess motivation
- statin drugs
- bile acid dequestrants
✔✔Statins - ✔✔[monitor liver enzymes]
- lovastatin 10-80mg daily
- pravastatin 10-80mg daily
- simvastatin 5-40mg daily
- fluvastatin 20-40mg daily (max = 80mg/day)
- atorvastatin 10-80mg daily
- rosuvastatin 5-40mg daily
- pitavastatin 1-4mg daily
✔✔Bile Acid Sequestrants - ✔✔- cholestryamine
- colestipol
- colesevelam
✔✔Niacin - ✔✔- 150mg daily initially
- increase by 250mg/day increments every 4-7 days to 1.5-3g/day given in 2-3 divided
doses
- after 2 months increase by 500mg/day increments every 2-4 weeks according to
response, ma 4.5g/day
✔✔Cholestryamine - ✔✔4g daily or BID (max 24g/day)
✔✔Colestipol - ✔✔-5g daily o rBID initially
- increase by 5g/day increments every 1-2 months according to response max of
30g/day
✔✔Colesevelam - ✔✔3.75g/day given in 1-2 divided doses
