Cholesterol levels have been shown to be related to the development of coronary heart disease and can be lowered through dietary measures (National Institute of Health, 2003). Dietary counseling alone as well as in conjunction with pharmacotherapy has been demonstrated by research to lower blood cholesterol levels. A problem exists in that dietary counseling is underused for the treatment of hyperlipidemia. The purpose of this study is to identify the different types of dietary counseling and their benefits in the treatment of hyperlipidemia as demonstrated through research. Nursing and interdisciplinary research literature published between 1990 and 2003 regarding dietary intake and hyperlipidemia was reviewed and synthesized. The benefits of dietary counseling were synthesized in relation to the outcome measures of: reduced cholesterol levels according to different types of dietary counseling and diets, cost-effectiveness, synergistic effects with pharmacological and other non-pharmacological treatment, and reduced medication-related adverse affects. Different diets and dietary counseling that significantly reduced cholesterol are reported. Limitations in synthesizing these studies were related to different variables, designs, diets, and client types, as well as the fact most research on dietary counseling is not related specifically to nursing but is interdisciplinary. This study will be significant for nursing practice because nurses are often the health care professionals who counsel the patient prior to discharge, during a routine visit, or in any preventive setting, such as health fairs, clinics, consumer education via media, or other community sites. As benefits are clearly identified, nurses will gain a better appreciation for their role in dietary counseling with patients with hyperlipidemia. Recommendations for nursing education, practice, and research were included in this study based on findings synthesized.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ucf.edu/oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:honorstheses1990-2015-1369 |
| Date | 01 January 2004 |
| Creators | Body, Sarah |
| Publisher | STARS |
| Source Sets | University of Central Florida |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Source | HIM 1990-2015 |
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