Isometric exercises, such as weight lifting, cause _________ maneuver and should be avoided in patients with stable angina.

Isometric exercises, like weight lifting, can lead to the Valsalva maneuver, a respiratory pattern where a person exhales forcefully against a closed airway, leading to increased intrathoracic pressure. This maneuver is characterized by a series of physiological changes, including a transient increase in blood pressure followed by a drop in blood flow to the heart and brain when the maneuver is released.

For patients with stable angina, it is crucial to avoid activities that may provoke changes in heart rhythm or decrease cardiac output. The Valsalva maneuver can exacerbate angina symptoms by transiently reducing coronary perfusion due to fluctuations in blood pressure and heart rate, potentially leading to ischemia. Therefore, isometric exercises are particularly ill-advised in this population.

In contrast, the other answer options do not directly relate to the physiological responses triggered by isometric exercises. Bradycardia pertains to a slow heart rate that does not inherently result from isometric activity. Hyperventilation is linked to rapid or deep breathing often seen in anxiety rather than isometric exercise. Hypoxemia, or low blood oxygen levels, does not specifically stem from the Valsalva maneuver or isometric exercises but can arise from various underlying conditions. Thus, the