Question

During acute altitude exposure, cardiac output increases due to:

a) increased heart rate
b) increased stroke volume
c) increased end-diastolic volume
d) decreased end-systolic volume

Answer 1

During acute altitude exposure, cardiac output increases due to increased heart rate and increased stroke volume.

Step-by-step explanation:

Cardiac output is the volume of blood pumped by the heart in one minute. It is calculated by multiplying the number of heart contractions that occur per minute (heart rate) times the stroke volume (the volume of blood pumped into the aorta per contraction of the left ventricle). Therefore, during acute altitude exposure, cardiac output increases due to increased heart rate and increased stroke volume.