Blood Pressure Varies for Individuals Throughout the Course of a Day

Multiple Choice

Blood pressure varies for individuals throughout the course of a day, typically being the lowest at night and the highest from late morning to early afternoon. The estimated rate of change in diastolic blood pressure for a patient with untreated hypertension is shown in the table. Using a model for the data, estimate to one decimal place, the average rate of change in diastolic blood pressure from noon. to 8 P.M.

A) -0.9 mm Hg per hour
B) -0.7 mm Hg per hour
C) -0.2 mm Hg per hour
D) -0.4 mm Hg per hour
E) 0.3 mm Hg per hour