Blood pressure varies for individuals throughout the course of a day, typically being the lowest at night and the highest from late morning to early afternoon. The estimated rate of change in diastolic blood pressure for a patient with untreated hypertension is shown in the table. Using a model for the data, estimate to one decimal place, the average rate of change in diastolic blood pressure from noon. to 8 P.M.
A) -0.9 mm Hg per hour
B) -0.7 mm Hg per hour
C) -0.2 mm Hg per hour
D) -0.4 mm Hg per hour
E) 0.3 mm Hg per hour

Question

Blood pressure varies for individuals throughout the course of a day, typically being the lowest at night and the highest from late morning to early afternoon. The estimated rate of change in diastolic blood pressure for a patient with untreated hypertension is shown in the table. Using a model for the data, estimate to one decimal place, the average rate of change in diastolic blood pressure from noon. to 8 P.M. 
A) -0.9 mm Hg per hour 
B) -0.7 mm Hg per hour 
C) -0.2 mm Hg per hour 
D) -0.4 mm Hg per hour 
E) 0.3 mm Hg per hour

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To estimate the average rate of change in diastolic blood pressure from noon to 8 P.M., we need to consider the change in blood pressure between those two times. According to the table, the change in diastolic blood pressure from noon to 8 P.M. is -5 mm Hg (from 60 to 55 mm Hg).

The time interval between noon and 8 P.M. is 8 hours. Therefore, the average rate of change in diastolic blood pressure from noon to 8 P.M. is:

Average rate of change = (change in blood pressure) / (time interval)
Average rate of change = (-5 mm Hg) / (8 hours)
Average rate of change = -0.625 mm Hg per hour

Rounding this to one decimal place gives us -0.7 mm Hg per hour, which is closest to choice B). Therefore, the answer is B).

Blood Pressure Varies for Individuals Throughout the Course of a Day