Lesson 1.5.1

1.5.1 Reducing CVD risk, CVD treatments and ethics of invertebrate research Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Biology A (Salters-Nuffield), Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 1.5.1, Reducing CVD risk, CVD treatments and ethics of invertebrate research: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Biology A (Salters-Nuffield) (9BI0), Unit 1: Lifestyle, Health and Risk, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which class of drug is used to lower blood pressure by increasing the excretion of sodium and water?

    • Anticoagulants, which inhibit the clotting cascade
    • Platelet inhibitors, which reduce platelet aggregation
    • Statins, which inhibit cholesterol synthesis in the liver
    • Diuretics, which are a type of antihypertensive drug

  2. What is the main action of statins in reducing cardiovascular disease risk?

    • They thin the blood by stopping platelets adhering to the endothelium at all times
    • They reduce blood pressure by increasing the excretion of sodium in the urine
    • They dilate the coronary arteries directly by relaxing the smooth muscle in their walls
    • They inhibit an enzyme needed for cholesterol synthesis in the liver, lowering blood LDL

  3. Which of these is a risk associated with anticoagulant treatment?

    • Increased blood pressure, because the drug constricts the arterioles in the body
    • Increased cholesterol, because the liver produces more LDL in response to the drug
    • Increased bleeding, because blood takes longer to clot after injury
    • Increased plaque formation, because the drug damages the endothelium directly

  4. Why are platelet inhibitors such as aspirin given to some patients with CVD?

    • They lower LDL cholesterol by inhibiting the production of cholesterol in the liver
    • They reduce platelet aggregation, lowering the risk of clots forming on atherosclerotic plaques
    • They raise blood pressure, which pushes plaque deposits into the artery walls
    • They increase platelet numbers, which speeds up the sealing of damaged arteries

  5. Which of these is a benefit of an antihypertensive drug in CVD?

    • Higher blood pressure improves the flow of blood through narrowed arteries and reduces clots
    • Higher blood pressure reduces the workload on the heart, which is why it is prescribed
    • Lower blood pressure increases the rate of LDL deposition in artery walls, which strengthens them
    • Lower blood pressure reduces the strain on arteries and the risk of stroke and heart attack

  6. A patient takes a statin and develops muscle pain. Which action is most appropriate for the doctor to consider?

    • Review the benefit and risk of continuing the statin, and check for possible side effects
    • Stop all treatment for CVD immediately, because muscle pain shows that LDL is not a risk
    • Increase the statin dose at once, because muscle pain shows the drug is working better
    • Start an anticoagulant instead, because muscle pain is a sign of a blood clot in the leg

  7. Why might a doctor prescribe a combination of treatments such as an antihypertensive and a statin?

    • They both act on the same target, so combining them increases the effect without any extra benefit
    • They are both forms of platelet inhibitor, so combining them is needed only for patients who smoke
    • Each drug causes the other to be excreted faster, which keeps the patient's blood pressure stable
    • They act on different risk factors, so combined treatment can reduce CVD risk more than either alone

  8. Which of these best describes an ethical concern about the use of invertebrates in research?

    • Whether the research is necessary and whether any harm to the animals is justified by the knowledge gained
    • Whether invertebrate data can be published, since they are never valid for human health research
    • Whether invertebrates can be used at all, because they are not classified as living organisms
    • Whether invertebrates are cheaper than mammals to keep, which determines the scientific value of the results

  9. Why are Daphnia, a type of crustacean, often used in cardiac research and teaching?

    • Their heart can be observed through the transparent body, and the heart rate can be counted easily
    • They contain haemoglobin in their blood, which allows direct study of oxygen transport in plasma
    • They have a four-chambered heart like mammals, which makes them a direct model of human heart disease
    • They have no nervous system, so experiments on them raise no ethical concerns at all

  10. In a Daphnia caffeine investigation, heart rate is counted for 15 seconds and found to be 30 beats. What is the heart rate in beats per minute?

    • 450 beats per minute
    • 2 beats per minute
    • 120 beats per minute
    • 30 beats per minute

  11. In a DCPIP titration to measure vitamin C, the volume of juice needed to decolourise a fixed volume of DCPIP is measured. Which result indicates the juice has the highest vitamin C content?

    • The juice that changes DCPIP from colourless to blue with the least volume
    • The smallest volume of juice needed to decolourise the DCPIP
    • The largest volume of juice needed to decolourise the DCPIP
    • The volume is irrelevant, because vitamin C does not react with DCPIP at all

  12. Why is vitamin C a useful antioxidant in the diet for CVD risk?

    • It can reduce oxidation of LDL, which is one step linked with the development of plaques
    • It dissolves platelets, which prevents clots from forming on damaged endothelium
    • It lowers blood pressure by directly relaxing the smooth muscle in the arterioles
    • It increases the rate at which LDL is converted into HDL in the liver, lowering blood cholesterol

  13. Which of these lifestyle measures is most likely to reduce CVD risk?

    • Stopping smoking, taking regular exercise and eating less saturated fat
    • Avoiding all fruit and vegetables, because they contain sugars that raise blood cholesterol
    • Increasing salt intake to raise blood volume and so improve circulation to the heart
    • Eating more saturated fat, smoking moderately and avoiding exercise to conserve energy

  14. A patient's waist-to-hip ratio is 1.1 and their BMI is 31. What lifestyle advice is most appropriate?

    • Eat only saturated fat, which lowers LDL and reduces the waist-to-hip ratio over time
    • Stop all physical activity, because exercise increases the risk of CVD by raising blood pressure
    • Aim to reduce body fat through a balanced diet and regular activity, targeting central fat
    • Increase body fat to improve the body's resistance to heart disease and reduce the risk of plaque

  15. Why do treatments for CVD such as statins require long-term evaluation before they are adopted in clinical practice?

    • Benefits and risks such as side effects need to be measured over time in large, well-designed trials
    • Statins work instantly, so long-term evaluation is only needed for antihypertensive drugs
    • Clinical trials are not needed for drugs, because all drugs are known to be safe from the outset
    • Long-term evaluation is required only for diet changes, which cannot be measured in trials

  16. Which principle of ethical animal research is summarised by the three Rs: replacement, reduction and refinement?

    • Restrict research to mammals, reduce the cost of experiments and report results in full
    • Replace animals where possible, reduce the number used and refine methods to minimise suffering
    • Repeat experiments on the same animal, reduce the time spent on each test and refine the data analysis
    • Record all results, reject unusual data and revise the hypothesis after each experiment

  17. Which of these is a potential benefit of using invertebrates in research compared with mammals?

    • They are always more similar to humans than mammals, so results transfer directly to human health
    • They have no biological processes in common with humans, so they are useful as control organisms
    • They are generally simpler and cheaper to keep, and they raise fewer welfare concerns
    • They are always legally protected from research, so results can be published without review

  18. A report concludes that a dietary supplement reduces CVD risk, but the evidence comes from one small uncontrolled study. What is the most appropriate evaluation?

    • The evidence is weak, and a controlled trial with a larger sample is needed before concluding the supplement works
    • The evidence is irrelevant, because supplements can never affect CVD risk in any study design
    • The evidence proves the supplement is safe, because no side effects were recorded in one small study
    • The evidence is strong, because any study that reports a benefit must be correct about the effect

  19. Why is it important that a statin trial measures clinical outcomes such as heart attacks and deaths, not only blood LDL?

    • Blood LDL is measured incorrectly by standard tests, so outcomes are needed to correct the LDL readings
    • Deaths and heart attacks are not related to LDL at all, so they are irrelevant to the trial design
    • Lowering LDL is a surrogate measure, so the trial must show that patients actually have fewer clinical events
    • Blood LDL is only measured in patients who have already had a heart attack, so it cannot be used as an outcome

  20. What is the main purpose of a Daphnia caffeine investigation in a practical?

    • To test whether Daphnia are mammals with a four-chambered heart like human hearts
    • To observe how a stimulant affects heart rate and to discuss the ethics of using invertebrates
    • To measure the amount of caffeine in tea, using Daphnia as a chemical indicator of concentration
    • To show that Daphnia have haemoglobin and transport oxygen in their blood plasma

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