Predict the effects of each of the following on systemic arterial blood pressure:

a. The practice of 'blood doping,' which increases the number of red blood cells in the blood

Video transcript

Hey, everyone. Let's take a look at this question together. Which of the following impacts of blood doping is true. Is it answer choice A? It can decrease blood viscosity. Answer choice B, it can increase resistance to blood flow. Answer choice C, it can decrease blood pressure or answer choice D all of the above. Let's work this problem out together to try to figure out which of the following answer choices is an impact of blood doping. That is true. So in order to solve this question, we have to recall what we have learned about blood doping to determine if the following answer choice contains an impact of blood doping. That is true. And we can recall that blood doping is involves increasing the number of red blood cells in the blood, which increasing the number of red blood cells in the blood can lead to an increase in blood viscosity due to elevated hematocrit or the percentage of blood composed of those red blood cells. And an increase in blood viscosity is important to note since that increased viscosity leads to increased resistance to blood flow. Since the viscosity of the blood has increased, it makes it harder for the blood to flow, which explains that increased resistance of blood flow. So looking at our answer choices, we can identify answer choice B as the correct answer. Since blood doping, which leads to an increase in blood viscosity can increase resistance to blood flow. And all other answer choices are incorrect. I hope you found this video to be helpful. Thank you and goodbye.