Content Objective: Metabolic Syndrome/Obesity/Dyslipidemia

By the end of the Family Medicine Clerkship, the medical student will be able to:

  1. Describe metabolic syndrome (association of visceral adipose tissue mass, dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure and elevated serum glucose.)
  2. Identify risk factors leading to development of metabolic syndrome.
  3. Counsel patients on possible interventions for prevention of metabolic syndrome.
  4. List complications of metabolic syndrome.
  5. Outline treatment modalities of metabolic syndrome with respect to diet, activity, pharmacological and surgical options.
  6. Define the classifications of weight using BMI in adults.
  7. Define the classifications of weight using appropriate BMI for age growth chart in children age 2–20.
  8. Identify risk factors for obesity.
  9. Determine appropriate cost effective investigations for diagnosis and assessment of complications of obesity (hypertension, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis.)
  10. Describe treatment modalities for obesity including lifestyle modifications, risks and benefits of pharmacological and surgical options.
  11. Discuss effect of obesity on patient personal life and assess motivation for change, consider counselling to support change and facilitating access for interventions.
  12. Describe the various types of dyslipidemia: hypercholesterolemia, familial hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia.
  13. Screen appropriate patients for dyslipidemia.
  14. Identify causes of dyslipidemia (genetic, dietary, medical conditions and drugs) and counsel or investigate and treat modifiable causes.
  15. Identify common complications of:
    • Hypercholesterolemia—increases cardiovascular risk
    • Hypertriglyceridemia—increased cardiovascular risk, pancreatitis
  16. Recommend target lipid levels based on overall cardiovascular risk.
  17. Describe all treatment modalities (lifestyle, pharmacological) appropriate for target lipid levels.
  18. Review smoking status and encourage smoking cessation as appropriate in dyslipidemia.

Mandatory Clinical Encounter

  • Obesity

Resources*

* Where a specific resource is not listed for a particular objective, please refer to recommended general texts/websites. Resources have often been selected from the Clinical Practice Guidelines and Protocols in British Columbia and Alberta’s Towards Optimized Practice Clinical Practice Guidelines. These are often concise summaries of national guidelines.