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How can physical activity before an ECG affect the results?
It can lower heart rate
It can increase heart rate variability
It has no effect
It can cause arrhythmias
The correct answer is: It can increase heart rate variability
Physical activity before an ECG can indeed increase heart rate variability, which is an important characteristic of heart health. Heart rate variability refers to the variation in time intervals between consecutive heartbeats, and it is influenced by autonomic nervous system activity. Engaging in physical activity can activate the sympathetic nervous system, which may cause fluctuations in heart rate during exercise and recovery. When a patient engages in physical activity prior to the ECG, their body needs to adjust to the increased demand for blood flow and oxygen. This adjustment affects how the heart beats and can lead to greater variability in the intervals between heartbeats. Consequently, the reading on the ECG can reflect this enhanced variability, providing valuable information about the autonomic regulation of the heart. The other options, while they may be related to different aspects of cardiovascular function, do not accurately capture the specific influence of physical activity on heart rate variability as effectively as the correct choice.