Ace the Cardiac Vascular Nursing Exam 2025 – Pump Up Your Success!

The primary purpose of Endothelium-Derived Relaxing Factor (EDRF), which is primarily identified as nitric oxide (NO), is to promote vasodilation in the vascular system. When released from the endothelial cells lining the blood vessels, EDRF causes the smooth muscle in the vessel walls to relax. This relaxation leads to the widening of the blood vessels, which helps to increase blood flow.

Vasodilation is essential for regulating blood pressure, ensuring adequate blood supply to various tissues, and playing a role in the body’s response to increased metabolic demand, such as during exercise. By decreasing vascular resistance and allowing for greater blood flow, EDRF is crucial in maintaining the balance of blood circulation and overall cardiovascular health.

The other options do not align with the function of EDRF. Enhancing blood clotting, decreasing blood flow, or increasing blood viscosity does not characterize the role of this factor in the body, which is fundamentally involved in vasodilation and the maintenance of healthy blood flow.