[Solved]: Stuart, a 61-year-old male who is overweight, sees…

Stuart, a 61-year-old male who is overweight, sees the occupational health nurse at work as part of a routine physical exam for employment; his blood pressure on exam is 149/98 mmHg. A follow-up blood pressure reading by the same nurse a week later reveals a blood pressure of 162/101 mmHg. Stuart complains of significant stress, but notes that he has no other symptoms of high blood pressure. He has no family history of hypertension or heart disease. He has been referred to nutrition services after having several of these elevated blood pressure readings, as part of coordinating his care to control his blood pressure levels. Stuart tells the dietitian that he can’t really tell that he has hypertension. He says, “If I feel fine, do I really need to do anything to change it?” What best describes how hypertension contributes to cardiovascular disease? a. Higher systolic blood pressure results in a decreased amount of blood hemoglobin, which reduces tissue oxygenation. b. The increased blood pressure causes the arterial walls to become thickened. c. The increased pressure promotes blood clot formations, which can lead to arterial occlusions. d. Heart tissue can become ischemic because arterial pressure can cause a blockage in the coronary arteries. e. The heart can become weakened when it has to work harder to eject blood into the arteries.