Sally smoked for 15 years but started having extreme fatigue…
Sally smoked for 15 years but started having extreme fatigue climbing stairs and complained of being out of breath all the time. She was referred to a cardiologist. Her resting heart rate was far above average and upon a stress test (exercise with cardiac monitoring) her blood pressure increased and did not return to normal in the time frame normal for her age group. She realized that she was at risk for having a heart attack, so she quit. When Sally returned to the doctor her heart rate and blood pressure reading were much improved. Based on what you know about the autonomic nervous system and nicotine, which statement best explains why Sally’s heart rate and blood pressure were increased and why her cardiovascular system improved after quitting smoking?