Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Practice Exam

When assessing older adults' cardiac health, what is a common finding?

1. Increased cardiac output.

2. Decline in cardiac reserve.

3. Normal heart sounds.

4. Regular heart rhythms.

The correct answer is: Decline in cardiac reserve.

The decline in cardiac reserve is a typical finding when assessing the cardiac health of older adults. As individuals age, their heart and vascular systems undergo changes that may reduce the efficiency and effectiveness of the heart's ability to respond to stress or increased demand. This means that while at rest an older adult may appear stable and have normal heart function, they may not be able to effectively increase their cardiac output during physical exertion or stress as younger individuals can. This is largely due to factors such as stiffening of the myocardium, decreased responsiveness to catecholamines, and reduced maximum heart rate, all of which contribute to a diminished cardiac reserve. In contrast, findings like increased cardiac output are less common in older adults, as their hearts cannot pump as vigorously as they once might have. Normal heart sounds and regular heart rhythms might still occur, but these do not fully represent the complexities of cardiac health in aging populations, where underlying risks for issues like heart failure become more prevalent despite seemingly normal assessments at rest.