The patient has hypertension and asks the nurse how this can lead to heart failure. What is the best response by the nurse?
1. "Hypertension causes resistance in your blood vessels, or afterload; your heart works harder, and weakens."
2. "Hypertension limits the ability of your heart to stretch before emptying, or afterload; your heart works harder, and weakens."
3. "Hypertension causes resistance in your aorta, or afterload; your heart works harder and weakens."
4. "Hypertension limits the amount of blood entering your left ventricle, or afterload; your heart works harder, and weakens."
Correct Answer: 1
Rationale: The most common cause of increased afterload is an increase in peripheral resistance due to hypertension. Afterload refers to peripheral resistance, not to the amount of blood entering the left ventricle. The ability of the heart to stretch before entering is known as preload, not afterload. Afterload refers to peripheral resistance, not to resistance in the aorta.
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