A 55-year-old patient comes to the clinic for a routine check-up. The patient's BP is 159/100 mm Hg and the physician diagnoses hypertension after referring to previous readings. The patient asks why it is important to treat hypertension. What would be the nurse's best response?

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Hypertension, particularly elevated systolic BP, increases the risk of death, stroke, and heart failure in people older than 50 years. Hypertension is not a direct precursor to pulmonary emboli, and it does not put older adults at increased risk of type 1 diabetes or cancer. It is not the leading cause of death in people 55 years of age.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Inhibition of NO synthase reduces nitric oxide production, promptly raising blood pressure.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The chordae tendinae anchor the AV valves to the ventricular walls via papillary muscles.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Cardiac output is calculated as the product of heart rate and stroke volume.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Mean arterial blood pressure represents the average pressure in arteries during one cardiac cycle.