NU 627 Chapter 1 Exam Questions with Correct Answers Latest Update 2025/2026
Rule of fourths - Answers decline in aging, approximately one-fourth can be attributed to
disease, one-fourth to disuse (e.g., sedentary lifestyle, lack of mental stimulation), and one-
fourth to misuse (e.g., smoking, injuries from contact sports, and adverse effects of prescription
and/or recreational drugs). Only about one-fourth can be attributed to physiologic aging.
Disease-related disability - Answers Example: decreased exercise tolerance in a chronic smoker
with chronic lung disease;
disuse-related disability - Answers Example: shortness of breath on minimal exertion in a
sedentary older person
misuse-related disability - Answers knee arthritis in a former football player
disability related to physiologic aging - Answers trouble reading fine print in a 50-year-old
If the problem is disease - Answers medical treatment is indicated.
If the problem is disuse - Answers can often be cured with an activity regimen.
If the problem is misuse - Answers prior damage cannot be reversed but steps can be taken to
prevent deterioration and to preserve function
If the problem is physiologic aging - Answers steps should be taken to adapt and compensate
for the disability.
common physiologic changes noted with aging - Answers • The age at which reading glasses
are needed because of reduced lens elasticity is between 42 and 50 years.
•Vestibular sensitivity gradually increases until about age 60 years, which is one of the reasons
why adults have increasing trouble on amusement park rides as they age.
• Fertility in women peaks between 15 and 25 years and declines thereafter, with menopause
typically occurring about age 50 years
• Reaction time tends to increase with age (which explains why teenagers are usually far better
at games of speed—including many video games—than older persons).
• The amount of sway a person will experience if asked to stand still with eyes closed is high in
early childhood, is minimized between about ages 15 and 16 years, and then gradually increases
beyond age 60 years.
• Ankle jerk reflexes are increasingly diminished or absent with older age, in the absence of
detectable musculoskeletal pathology.
• Bone density plateaus between ages 20 and 50 years, then gradually declines, with the slope of
, decline being more rapid in women than in men.
Body composition - Answers Percent body water- Decreased
Percent body fat- Increased
Brain - Answers Weight decreases by 7%
Atrophy commonly noted
sleep patterns - Answers Markedly reduced stage 3 and 4 sleep
More frequent awakenings; reduced sleep efficiency
vision - Answers Lens accommodation Markedly reduced after age 40-50 years
Amount of light reaching the retina Diminished by up to 70%
Color perception Reduced intensity (especially of blues and greens)
hearing - Answers Acuity declines beginning about age 12 years, with decline steepest in high
frequencies (>5000 Hertz [cycles/second])
Taste/smell - Answers Number of taste buds Reduced by 70%
Changes in preferences Increased tolerance for very sweet and very salty foods (as a result of
reduced perception)
Cardiac function - Answers Maximum heart rate Reduced from about 195 to about 155 beats
per minute
Reduced cardiac output during stress- Predisposes to heart failure during sepsis, pneumonia,
surgery
Renal perfusion - Answers Decreased by 50%
Bone mineral content - Answers Diminished by 10%-30%
Prostate gland anatomy - Answers Size increases by 100%
Sexual function - Answers Men: Reduced intensity and persistence of erections; decreased
ejaculate and ejaculatory flow
Women: Menopause; reduced lubrication; vaginal atrophy
cardinal symptom of the frailty syndrome - Answers With increasing age and disability,
diminished stamina can progress to the point where the older person no longer has enough
energy to complete the necessary activities of daily living.
Rule of fourths - Answers decline in aging, approximately one-fourth can be attributed to
disease, one-fourth to disuse (e.g., sedentary lifestyle, lack of mental stimulation), and one-
fourth to misuse (e.g., smoking, injuries from contact sports, and adverse effects of prescription
and/or recreational drugs). Only about one-fourth can be attributed to physiologic aging.
Disease-related disability - Answers Example: decreased exercise tolerance in a chronic smoker
with chronic lung disease;
disuse-related disability - Answers Example: shortness of breath on minimal exertion in a
sedentary older person
misuse-related disability - Answers knee arthritis in a former football player
disability related to physiologic aging - Answers trouble reading fine print in a 50-year-old
If the problem is disease - Answers medical treatment is indicated.
If the problem is disuse - Answers can often be cured with an activity regimen.
If the problem is misuse - Answers prior damage cannot be reversed but steps can be taken to
prevent deterioration and to preserve function
If the problem is physiologic aging - Answers steps should be taken to adapt and compensate
for the disability.
common physiologic changes noted with aging - Answers • The age at which reading glasses
are needed because of reduced lens elasticity is between 42 and 50 years.
•Vestibular sensitivity gradually increases until about age 60 years, which is one of the reasons
why adults have increasing trouble on amusement park rides as they age.
• Fertility in women peaks between 15 and 25 years and declines thereafter, with menopause
typically occurring about age 50 years
• Reaction time tends to increase with age (which explains why teenagers are usually far better
at games of speed—including many video games—than older persons).
• The amount of sway a person will experience if asked to stand still with eyes closed is high in
early childhood, is minimized between about ages 15 and 16 years, and then gradually increases
beyond age 60 years.
• Ankle jerk reflexes are increasingly diminished or absent with older age, in the absence of
detectable musculoskeletal pathology.
• Bone density plateaus between ages 20 and 50 years, then gradually declines, with the slope of
, decline being more rapid in women than in men.
Body composition - Answers Percent body water- Decreased
Percent body fat- Increased
Brain - Answers Weight decreases by 7%
Atrophy commonly noted
sleep patterns - Answers Markedly reduced stage 3 and 4 sleep
More frequent awakenings; reduced sleep efficiency
vision - Answers Lens accommodation Markedly reduced after age 40-50 years
Amount of light reaching the retina Diminished by up to 70%
Color perception Reduced intensity (especially of blues and greens)
hearing - Answers Acuity declines beginning about age 12 years, with decline steepest in high
frequencies (>5000 Hertz [cycles/second])
Taste/smell - Answers Number of taste buds Reduced by 70%
Changes in preferences Increased tolerance for very sweet and very salty foods (as a result of
reduced perception)
Cardiac function - Answers Maximum heart rate Reduced from about 195 to about 155 beats
per minute
Reduced cardiac output during stress- Predisposes to heart failure during sepsis, pneumonia,
surgery
Renal perfusion - Answers Decreased by 50%
Bone mineral content - Answers Diminished by 10%-30%
Prostate gland anatomy - Answers Size increases by 100%
Sexual function - Answers Men: Reduced intensity and persistence of erections; decreased
ejaculate and ejaculatory flow
Women: Menopause; reduced lubrication; vaginal atrophy
cardinal symptom of the frailty syndrome - Answers With increasing age and disability,
diminished stamina can progress to the point where the older person no longer has enough
energy to complete the necessary activities of daily living.
