A 64-year-old patient has coronary heart disease. The results of the patient's assessment are shown in the table.
| Assessment | Result |
|---|---|
| narrowing of coronary artery A | 82% |
| narrowing of coronary artery B | 38% |
| narrowing of coronary artery C | 34% |
| systolic blood pressure | 168 mmHg168\text{ mmHg}168 mmHg (above the healthy range) |
| blood cholesterol concentration | 7.1 mmol/L (above the healthy range) |
| assessed risk from anaesthesia | low |
The patient smokes and often forgets to take daily medicines.
The table gives information from comparable patients receiving different treatments.
| Treatment | Evidence from comparable patients |
|---|---|
| stent in artery A | blood flow improved immediately; 2 in every 100 patients had a serious complication |
| statin and antihypertensive drugs | after 12 weeks, mean systolic blood pressure decreased by 22 mmHg22\text{ mmHg}22 mmHg and mean blood cholesterol decreased by 2.1 mmol/L |
| support to stop smoking, improve diet and exercise regularly | after 6 months, mean systolic blood pressure decreased by 11 mmHg11\text{ mmHg}11 mmHg and mean blood cholesterol decreased by 0.7 mmol/L; 61 in every 100 patients maintained the changes for one year |
Using the information, evaluate whether artery A should be treated with a stent immediately or whether the patient should first try medication and supported lifestyle changes, with the response reviewed after 12 weeks. Justify your decision.
102 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Biology 5.4 Non-communicable diseases, covering 5.4.1 Interaction of factors in non-communicable disease, 5.4.2 Lifestyle factors and non-communicable disease, and 5.4.3 Treatments for cardiovascular disease. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.