Question

An S4 is often heard in which group of individuals?

1) Healthy older adults
2) Children
3) Athletes
4) All of the above

Answer 1

The S4 heart sound is often heard in healthy older adults, athletes, and children, and represents an extra heart sound before the normal 'lub-dub.'

Step-by-step explanation:

An S4 heart sound is often heard in which group of individuals? The correct answer is healthy older adults. The S4 sound is an extra heart sound that occurs just before the normal two "lub-dub" heart sounds (S1 and S2). It is also known as an atrial gallop or a presystolic gallop due to its occurrence late in the heart cycle.

The presence of an S4 sound can be normal and is sometimes found in healthy older adults due to stiffening of the ventricular myocardium. It is also sometimes observed in well-trained athletes and children, but it can also indicate cardiac problems, like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or hypertension, particularly when associated with symptoms. Therefore, the complete answer is '4) All of the above'.