APEA 3P Exam Preparation:
Cardiovascular Focus Exam
Questions and Answers
User [Date] [Course title]
,Which patient is expected to have the highest systolic blood pressure? - Correct Answer: A 75-year-old
male.
What percentage of the US population has hypertension? - Correct Answer: Nearly 25%.
In which demographic is the greatest incidence of hypertension found? - Correct Answer: Older adults.
Which gender is more likely to be hypertensive at any age? - Correct Answer: Males.
Which ethnic group has the highest incidence of hypertension in the general population? - Correct
Answer: African American adults.
What percentage of pregnancies experience hypertension? - Correct Answer: 5-10%.
What drug does NOT need to be stopped prior to a heart catheterization? - Correct Answer: Metformin.
How long should furosemide be stopped prior to catheterization? - Correct Answer: 24 hours.
How long should metformin be stopped prior to catheterization? - Correct Answer: 48 hours.
Why should NSAIDs like naproxen be withheld before catheterization? - Correct Answer: Due to their
impact on renal prostaglandin production.
What are the three most common ailments in older adults? - Correct Answer: Hypertension, arthritis,
hearing loss.
What is the most common form of hearing loss in older adults? - Correct Answer: Presbycusis.
How often should blood pressure be screened in older adults? - Correct Answer: Annually, but usually at
each visit.
,What might the absence of hair growth on a patient's lower legs indicate? - Correct Answer: Peripheral
artery disease.
What should be assessed in a patient with an absence of hair growth on lower legs? - Correct Answer:
Lower extremity pulses and cardiac risk factors.
What is the normal ankle-brachial index value? - Correct Answer: Greater than 0.9.
What is considered a critical ankle-brachial index value? - Correct Answer: Less than 0.4.
What is the usual clinical course of mitral valve prolapse? - Correct Answer: Benign.
What symptoms may occur in a minority of patients with mitral valve prolapse? - Correct Answer:
Symptoms of heart failure or sudden death.
What is an ACE inhibitor specifically indicated for? - Correct Answer: Hypertension, diabetes with
proteinuria, and heart failure.
What other condition can ACE inhibitors be indicated for? - Correct Answer: Renal insufficiency.
What is the relationship between aging and hair growth in older adults? - Correct Answer: Hair growth
diminishes but does not become absent.
What should be questioned in a patient with a history of smoking and peripheral artery disease? -
Correct Answer: Leg pain when walking.
What must be monitored closely in patients taking ACE inhibitors? - Correct Answer: Lab tests for BUN,
creatinine (Cr), and potassium.
Is diabetes without proteinuria a specific indication for ACE inhibitors? - Correct Answer: No, it is not a
specific indication; using ACE inhibitors in this way is considered off-label.
, Which medication class decreases the likelihood of angina in older adults? - Correct Answer: Beta
blockers.
How do beta blockers help in managing angina symptoms? - Correct Answer: They slow down heart rate,
depress myocardial contractility, and decrease sympathetic stimulation, reducing myocardial oxygen
demand.
What is orthostatic hypotension? - Correct Answer: A condition diagnosed when systolic blood pressure
drops 20 mm Hg or more within 3 minutes of moving to an upright position.
What is the expected blood pressure response within one minute of standing up? - Correct Answer:
Blood pressure typically returns to baseline within one minute.
What additional criteria can diagnose orthostatic hypotension? - Correct Answer: A diastolic drop of 10
mm Hg or more with a position change.
What symptoms might patients report when experiencing orthostatic hypotension? - Correct Answer:
Lightheadedness, weakness, dizziness, blurred vision, or decreased hearing.
Which demographic is most likely to have adverse blood pressure effects from excessive sodium
consumption? - Correct Answer: Elderly patients and African American patients.
What is a common side effect of taking HCTZ (hydrochlorothiazide)? - Correct Answer: Muscle cramps
due to hypokalemia.
What is the most likely etiology of aortic stenosis in a 25-year-old patient? - Correct Answer: Congenital
causes, such as a bicuspid aortic valve.
What is the second most common cause of aortic stenosis in younger patients? - Correct Answer:
Rheumatic heart disease.
Cardiovascular Focus Exam
Questions and Answers
User [Date] [Course title]
,Which patient is expected to have the highest systolic blood pressure? - Correct Answer: A 75-year-old
male.
What percentage of the US population has hypertension? - Correct Answer: Nearly 25%.
In which demographic is the greatest incidence of hypertension found? - Correct Answer: Older adults.
Which gender is more likely to be hypertensive at any age? - Correct Answer: Males.
Which ethnic group has the highest incidence of hypertension in the general population? - Correct
Answer: African American adults.
What percentage of pregnancies experience hypertension? - Correct Answer: 5-10%.
What drug does NOT need to be stopped prior to a heart catheterization? - Correct Answer: Metformin.
How long should furosemide be stopped prior to catheterization? - Correct Answer: 24 hours.
How long should metformin be stopped prior to catheterization? - Correct Answer: 48 hours.
Why should NSAIDs like naproxen be withheld before catheterization? - Correct Answer: Due to their
impact on renal prostaglandin production.
What are the three most common ailments in older adults? - Correct Answer: Hypertension, arthritis,
hearing loss.
What is the most common form of hearing loss in older adults? - Correct Answer: Presbycusis.
How often should blood pressure be screened in older adults? - Correct Answer: Annually, but usually at
each visit.
,What might the absence of hair growth on a patient's lower legs indicate? - Correct Answer: Peripheral
artery disease.
What should be assessed in a patient with an absence of hair growth on lower legs? - Correct Answer:
Lower extremity pulses and cardiac risk factors.
What is the normal ankle-brachial index value? - Correct Answer: Greater than 0.9.
What is considered a critical ankle-brachial index value? - Correct Answer: Less than 0.4.
What is the usual clinical course of mitral valve prolapse? - Correct Answer: Benign.
What symptoms may occur in a minority of patients with mitral valve prolapse? - Correct Answer:
Symptoms of heart failure or sudden death.
What is an ACE inhibitor specifically indicated for? - Correct Answer: Hypertension, diabetes with
proteinuria, and heart failure.
What other condition can ACE inhibitors be indicated for? - Correct Answer: Renal insufficiency.
What is the relationship between aging and hair growth in older adults? - Correct Answer: Hair growth
diminishes but does not become absent.
What should be questioned in a patient with a history of smoking and peripheral artery disease? -
Correct Answer: Leg pain when walking.
What must be monitored closely in patients taking ACE inhibitors? - Correct Answer: Lab tests for BUN,
creatinine (Cr), and potassium.
Is diabetes without proteinuria a specific indication for ACE inhibitors? - Correct Answer: No, it is not a
specific indication; using ACE inhibitors in this way is considered off-label.
, Which medication class decreases the likelihood of angina in older adults? - Correct Answer: Beta
blockers.
How do beta blockers help in managing angina symptoms? - Correct Answer: They slow down heart rate,
depress myocardial contractility, and decrease sympathetic stimulation, reducing myocardial oxygen
demand.
What is orthostatic hypotension? - Correct Answer: A condition diagnosed when systolic blood pressure
drops 20 mm Hg or more within 3 minutes of moving to an upright position.
What is the expected blood pressure response within one minute of standing up? - Correct Answer:
Blood pressure typically returns to baseline within one minute.
What additional criteria can diagnose orthostatic hypotension? - Correct Answer: A diastolic drop of 10
mm Hg or more with a position change.
What symptoms might patients report when experiencing orthostatic hypotension? - Correct Answer:
Lightheadedness, weakness, dizziness, blurred vision, or decreased hearing.
Which demographic is most likely to have adverse blood pressure effects from excessive sodium
consumption? - Correct Answer: Elderly patients and African American patients.
What is a common side effect of taking HCTZ (hydrochlorothiazide)? - Correct Answer: Muscle cramps
due to hypokalemia.
What is the most likely etiology of aortic stenosis in a 25-year-old patient? - Correct Answer: Congenital
causes, such as a bicuspid aortic valve.
What is the second most common cause of aortic stenosis in younger patients? - Correct Answer:
Rheumatic heart disease.
