Explain the drop in blood pressure that occurs when one goes from lying down to standing up.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When one goes from lying down to standing up, venous compliance allows blood to pool in the legs, decreasing venous return. This causes a drop in cardiac output and blood pressure. This is known as orthostatic hypotension. The other choices are not correct because the heart rate actually increases to compensate for the drop in blood pressure, and neither an increase in afterload nor an increase in preload leads to a drop in cardiac output and blood pressure in this situation.

Explain the Drop in Blood Pressure That Occurs When One