PLTW Biomedical Science End of Course (EOC) Practice Test

Arteriosclerosis makes arteries stiff and less able to stretch when the heart pumps, so they can’t expand and recoil normally. That loss of elasticity means the pressure generated during heartbeat (systolic pressure) rises because the stiff vessels don’t absorb the energy of the blood as well, and the pulse pressure often widens. Over time this puts more strain on the heart. So the statement describing arteries not expanding and contracting normally best captures how arteriosclerosis affects blood pressure.

This condition does not lower blood pressure by making arteries more elastic, and it does not cause immediate heart failure. It is related to blood pressure because the stiffness directly alters how pressure is created and maintained in the arterial system.