Which statement describes the effect of increased ventricular thickness on stroke volume?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the relationship between increased ventricular thickness and stroke volume, focusing on how changes in the ventricular structure can influence the amount of blood ejected from the heart with each beat.
Answer
Ventricular thickness increase can decrease stroke volume.
An increase in ventricular thickness, known as ventricular hypertrophy, generally leads to a decrease in stroke volume due to changes in heart structure that affect its efficiency.
Answer for screen readers
An increase in ventricular thickness, known as ventricular hypertrophy, generally leads to a decrease in stroke volume due to changes in heart structure that affect its efficiency.
More Information
In cases of left ventricular hypertrophy, the walls of the heart's ventricles thicken, which can initially maintain stroke volume but over time, lead to decreased cardiac efficiency and lower stroke volume due to stiffening of the heart muscle.
Tips
A common mistake is to confuse ventricular hypertrophy with increased preload, which can increase stroke volume.
Sources
- Left Ventricular Hypertrophy - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Left Ventricular Hypertrophy : Pathogenesis, Detection, and Prognosis - ahajournals.org
