Systemic Vascular Resistance and Afterload Decrease When The

Question

Systemic vascular resistance and afterload decrease when the
A) blood viscosity increases.
B) stroke volume increases.
C) arterioles dilate.
D) arterioles respond to sympathetic nerve stimulation.

Accepted Answer

Arterioles dilate to decrease resistance and afterload. This allows for better blood flow and less effort required by the heart to pump blood. Blood viscosity, stroke volume, and sympathetic nerve stimulation do not directly affect systemic vascular resistance and afterload in the same way as arteriole dilation.