Why does blood pressure increase in atherosclerosis even if cardiac output remains constant?

💡 Explanation

In atherosclerosis, plaque buildup stiffens arterial walls, reducing compliance. Because the arterial vessel walls become less elastic, the same volume of blood ejected by the heart causes a greater increase in pressure; therefore, blood pressure rises even without changes in cardiac output, rather than due to changes in venous return or myocardial contractility.

• Why does accommodation reflex failure, linked to presbyopia, increasingly impair an aging accountant's ability to discern numbers on a close-range ledger, versus distant monitors?
• If a muscle biopsy of a marathon runner reveals elevated intracellular lactate levels immediately after finishing a race, which consequence follows regarding muscle fiber function?
• Why does carbohydrate fermentation in the colon yield short-chain fatty acids, rather than monosaccharides, despite amylase-mediated digestive breakdown?
• Why does bronchoconstriction occur during an asthma attack despite normal atmospheric oxygen?
• Why does persistent signaling via the NF-κB pathway, activated by inflammatory cytokines, increase the risk of tumor development in tissues experiencing chronic inflammation?
• Following small bowel resection, which change impairs vitamin uptake?