| Course | HS200 Diseases of the Human Body |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 1 |
| Paper type | Discussion board post |
| Length | About 380 words, 2 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 discussion post |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BS in Health Science |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HS200 Unit 1
The Same Pulse of 46 in Two People: A Unit 1 Discussion Post on Where an Unusual Finding Becomes a Disease
HS200 · Unit 1 Discussion Board Post
Posted by [Student Name]
The two people and classmates are composite; the recommendations and textbook cited are real.
Initial Post
A resting heart rate of 46 beats per minute is well below the usual adult range. Is it a disease? My answer is that it depends on whether the body is still getting what it needs.
Person one is a 29-year-old marathon runner. Her pulse is 46 at rest. She has no dizziness, no fainting and runs fifty miles a week. Years of endurance training have enlarged her heart's pumping chambers and strengthened the nervous signals that slow the heart, so each beat moves more blood and fewer beats are needed. International recommendations for reading athletes' heart tracings treat sinus bradycardia in trained athletes as a normal adaptation, not a finding that needs further testing on its own (Sharma et al., 2017).
Person two is a 78-year-old retired teacher. His pulse is also 46. But he has fainted twice in a month, feels tired walking to the mailbox and gets short of breath on stairs. His heart's natural pacemaker is wearing out with age, and his slow rate no longer pumps enough blood to his brain and muscles when he stands or exerts himself.
The number is the same; what differs is whether the body can still meet its demands, and that is where a finding becomes a disease.
So I would place the line not at a number but at function: a finding becomes a disease when it impairs the body's ability to meet its own needs, or carries a risk of doing so. Textbooks describe disease as a disturbance of normal structure or function, which fits this view (Rogers, 2023).
Where would you draw the line for a finding like high blood pressure, which causes no symptoms for years?
Reply to Tamika
Tamika, your example of a high cholesterol reading in a healthy 30-year-old fits the second half of my definition: no impairment yet, but a clear risk of it. Would you call it a disease, or a risk factor that becomes one later?
References
Rogers, J. L. (Ed.). (2023). McCance & Huether's pathophysiology: The biologic basis for disease in adults and children (9th ed.). Elsevier.
Sharma, S., Drezner, J. A., Baggish, A., Papadakis, M., Wilson, M. G., Prutkin, J. M., La Gerche, A., Ackerman, M. J., Borjesson, M., Salerno, J. C., Asif, I. M., Owens, D. S., Chung, E. H., Emery, M. S., Froelicher, V. F., Heidbuchel, H., Adamuz, C., Asplund, C. A., Cohen, G., ... Corrado, D. (2017). International recommendations for electrocardiographic interpretation in athletes. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 69(8), 1057-1075. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2017.01.015
What the HS200 Unit 1 assignment asks for
The first unit of this disease course typically asks students to post on the boundary between health and disease, often using an example, and to respond to a classmate. Posts commonly run around 300 to 400 words. Instructors look for a clear position supported by reasoning and at least one credible source, since even early posts in this course are expected to cite. Concrete examples work better than abstract definitions, because they force the writer to apply a criterion. Closing with a prompt that lets peers try the criterion on cases from their own lives is often rewarded. Replies should apply the writer's or the classmate's criterion to a new case rather than restating agreement. Personal or family examples are acceptable if no one can be identified.
Inside the HS200 Unit 1 example
The post opens with its position. The runner's case explains training adaptation and cites recommendations that treat slow heart rates in athletes as normal. The retiree's case explains an aging pacemaker and symptoms of poor blood flow. The highlighted sentence states that the number is the same while function differs. The post then defines disease as impaired function or clear risk of it, citing a pathophysiology text, and asks classmates where they would place silent conditions such as high blood pressure. The reply to Tamika applies the definition to a high cholesterol reading and asks whether it is a disease or a risk factor.
HS200 Unit 1 rubric: what earns full points
Discussion grading in this course generally weighs the clarity of the position, the quality of the reasoning, the use of a credible source, the usefulness of the reply and writing mechanics. Reasoning usually carries the largest share, rewarding a criterion that is applied consistently to more than one case. A source earns credit when it supports a specific claim, such as how athletes' heart rates are interpreted. The reply is judged on whether it extends the discussion with a new example or question. Clear paragraphs, correct terms and properly formatted citations finish the score. Posts that only define disease from a textbook, without applying the definition, tend to score in the middle range.
Common HS200 Unit 1 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Weak posts often offer a dictionary definition of disease and stops there. Another is choosing an example that is clearly a disease or clearly normal, which leaves nothing to argue. Some students rely on a single number, such as a laboratory cutoff, without considering the person's function. Others cite no source, even though this course expects one from the first week. Agreement on its own earns little in a reply. If you want to use a different example, perhaps a high blood sugar reading or a heart murmur found at a sports physical, send it with your prompt; the post and reply we prepare will rest on a clear criterion.
Get an HS200 Unit 1 example written to your instructions
The discussion question set for Unit 1 in your HS200 section and its rubric are the inputs, plus a finding seen in family or at work if the post may draw on one. That question shapes the draft, with a reply added wherever replies are graded. Expect it within 24-48h, and the opening request is free. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
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HS200 Unit 1 questions, answered
Can I use a condition from my own family?
Many sections encourage it, since an actual case hands the mechanism a concrete finding to account for. Keep the person unidentifiable: an age range and the finding are enough, with no name, workplace or dates attached. The example on this page uses composite people for the same reason, and a custom post can follow a situation you describe in general terms.
Does a Unit 1 post need citations?
In most HS200 sections, yes, even this early. One or two current professional sources, such as a pathophysiology textbook or a government health agency, usually satisfy the requirement, with the reference list formatted in APA. Graders in this course tend to assess citation mechanics from the first unit on, so a well-argued post with a bare web link can still lose points.
How long should the reply to a classmate be?
Whatever length the prompt names, and many sections set a minimum word count for replies as well as for the initial post. Content matters more than length. A reply that adds a mechanism, raises a counterexample or asks a question the classmate has to answer earns the participation credit that a sentence of agreement usually does not.
Where can I find a free HS200 Unit 1 sample paper?
The complete Unit 1 discussion post is on this page, using a resting pulse of 46 in two people to argue where a finding becomes a disease.
Is a slow resting heart rate always a problem?
No. In trained athletes, a slow rate often reflects a stronger heart and is considered normal. It becomes a concern when it causes fainting, fatigue or breathlessness.