Diseases associated with aging in women are difficult to correlate exp

Question

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Passage # 07, Date: 04-Apr-2020
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Diseases associated with aging in women are difficult to correlate explicitly with estrogen deficiency because aging and genetics are important influences in the development of such diseases. A number of studies, however, indicate a profound effect of estrogen deficiency in syndromes such as cardiovascular disease (including atherosclerosis and stroke) and osteoporosis—the loss and increasing fragility of bone in aging individuals.

The amount of bone in the elderly skeleton—a key determinant in its susceptibility to fractures—is believed to be a function of two major factors. The first is the peak amount of bone mass attained, determined to a large extent by genetic inheritance. The  marked effect of gender  is obvious—elderly men experience only one-half as many hip fractures per capita as elderly women. However, African American women have a lower incidence of osteoporotic fractures than Caucasian women. Other important variables include diet, exposure to sunlight, and physical activity. The second major factor is the rate of bone loss after peak bone mass has been attained. While many of the variables that affect peak bone mass also affect rates of bone loss, additional factors influencing bone loss include physiological stresses such as pregnancy and lactation. It is hormonal status, however, reflected primarily by estrogen and progesterone levels, that may exert the greatest effect on rates of decline in skeletal mass.    1 
 1. Based upon the passage, which of the following is LEAST clearly a factor affecting the rate of decline in bone mass?

(A) Gender
(B) Exposure to sunlight
(C) Progesterone levels
(D) Age
(E) Estrogen levels

2 
 2. In discussing the “marked effect of gender” ( Highlighted ), the author assumes all of the following EXCEPT

(A) the difference in incidence of hip fractures is not due instead to different rates of bone loss.
(B) the incidence of hip fractures among elderly men as compared to elderly women is representative of the total number of bone fractures among elderly men as compared to elderly women.
(C) elderly women are not more accident-prone than elderly men.
(D) the population upon which the cited statistic is based includes both African Americans and Caucasians.
(E) men achieve peak bone mass at the same age as women.

3 
 3. It can be inferred from the passage that the peak amount of bone mass in women

(A) is not affected by either pregnancy or lactation.
(B) is determined primarily by diet.
(C) depends partly upon hormonal status.
(D) may play a role in determining the rate of decrease in estrogen and progesterone levels.
(E) is not dependent upon genetic makeup.

Source:  Master GMAT 
Difficulty Level:   700

AnirudhaS · Accepted Answer

Bold  are answers.

1. Based upon the passage, which of the following is LEAST clearly a factor affecting the rate of decline in bone mass?
(A) Gender
 (B) Exposure to sunlight 
(C) Progesterone levels
(D) Age
”because aging and genetics are important influences in the development of such diseases.”
(E) Estrogen levels

Explantion of question 1 
This is also a tricky question, purely because all of the listed ARE factors affecting the rate of decline in bone mass. Now we have to figure out which is the LEAST. 
So how I will go about it is go from the most important to least. See the last paragraph says estrogen and progesterone level may exert GREATEST effect. Perfect, these are the greatest. C and E out.
A is out as well as the paragraph states – “The marked effect of gender is obvious”. It must be a critical factor. A is out.
First line of the para states ageing and genetics are important influences. Ok so the age must be an important factor. Also in the second paragraph author is only considering elderly men and women. This means that it is more prevalent at a certain age group. D is out.
B definitely has an effect but not as much as the others. B is our answer.

2. In discussing the “marked effect of gender” (Highlighted), the author assumes all of the following EXCEPT
This is a tough one.
(A) the difference in incidence of hip fractures is not due instead to different rates of bone loss.
 Definitely an assumption. If it had other causes, then this doesn’t make sense. 
(B) the incidence of hip fractures among elderly men as compared to elderly women is representative of the total number of bone fractures among elderly men as compared to elderly women.
 Yes this also must be an assumption. If it is not the case then the author’s point makes little sense. 
(C) elderly women are not more accident-prone than elderly men.
 Author is trying to make a point that gender plays a critical role. If one group is accident prone, then accident is the main cause, not gender in defining the cause of the problem. 
(D) the population upon which the cited statistic is based includes both African Americans and Caucasians.
 Yes again essential assumption. How can you compare if one group is excluded from the population. 
(E) men achieve peak bone mass at the same age as women.
 It does not matter if men achieve peak bone mass at the same age as women. The statistic is only dependent on those who have achieved this peak bone mass, age at which it has been achieved is irrelevant here.

3. It can be inferred from the passage that the peak amount of bone mass in women
 (A) is not affected by either pregnancy or lactation.
 So when the author states that additional factors influencing bone loss include physiological stresses such as pregnancy and lactation. This implies that for peak amount of bone mass pregnancy and lactation are NOT. 
(B) is determined primarily by diet.
 No where mentioned. 
(C) depends partly upon hormonal status.
 Yes for decline in skeletal mass, but there is no connection to peak amount of bone mass. 
(D) may play a role in determining the rate of decrease in estrogen and progesterone levels.
 Cannot find an obvious connection. 
(E) is not dependent upon genetic makeup.
 Definitely dependent on genetic makeup. Its stated in passage -”to a large extent by genetic inheritance”

ayushgarg32 · Answer

My Answers are:
1. D ( While many of the variables that affect peak bone mass also affect rates of bone loss, additional factors influencing bone loss include physiological stresses such as pregnancy and lactation. It is hormonal status, )
2. A ( nice question, and Just used Negation Test for all, rest 4 broke the conclusion)
3. A (   additional factors influencing bone loss include physiological stresses such as pregnancy and lactation. It is hormonal  , Since Explicitly given for second factor only stating about the second factor, so I think this can be inferred..)

SiffyB · Answer

Interesting passage and some great questions here!

1. Based upon the passage, which of the following is LEAST clearly a factor affecting the rate of decline in bone mass?
 
(A) Gender -  "While many of the variables that affect peak bone mass also affect rates of bone loss...." (Refer 2nd para, second last sentence). Clearly, gender is an important factor that affects peak bone mass ("The marked effect of gender is obvious.."), therefore this choice is incorrect.

(B) Exposure to sunlight -  Again, this is an important variable that affects peak bone mass, therefore, this may affect rate of of bone loss as well. This choice is also incorrect

(C) Progesterone levels -  This is also a factor affecting rate of bone loss as stated in the last line of second paragraph.

(D) Age -  There is no explicit mention of age being a factor affecting peak bone mass or rate of bone loss

(E) Estrogen levels -  This is also a factor affecting rate of bone loss as stated in the last line of second paragraph.
 
 Therefore, correct answer - (D)

2) In discussing the “marked effect of gender” (Highlighted), the author assumes all of the following EXCEPT
 
(A) the difference in incidence of hip fractures is not due instead to different rates of bone loss. -  This is definitely an assumption because if the rates of bone loss in women is higher than that in men, then there may be a possibility that peak bone mass is more in women than men but by the time this data was collected, women had lost most of their bone mass and thus, had lesser bone mass leading to more fractures.

(B) the incidence of hip fractures among elderly men as compared to elderly women is representative of the total number of bone fractures among elderly men as compared to elderly women. -  This is an assumption by the author. If you negate this assumption, the conclusion that the effect of gender is obvious may fall apart. That is, if this were not true, then we won't be able to make the conclusion that gender has a marked effect.
 
(C) elderly women are not more accident-prone than elderly men. -  If this were not true, we couldn't have attributed the incidence of hip fractures to gender. Thus, conclusion falls apart if we negate this statement.

(D) the population upon which the cited statistic is based includes both African Americans and Caucasians. -   This is not an assumption. Negating this ahs no effect on the conclusion because we are only concerned with gender here, not whether they are Caucasian or African American.

(E) men achieve peak bone mass at the same age as women. -  This is an assumption because if we negate this statement, then the conclusion that marked effect of gender is obious falls apart.

Correct answer - (D)

3) It can be inferred from the passage that the peak amount of bone mass in women

(A) is not affected by either pregnancy or lactation. -  This isn't explicitly mentioned anywhere in the passage. This may or not be the case.

(B) is determined primarily by diet. -  The passage states that diet is one of the important variables affecting peak bone mass. This does not mean it primarily affects peak bone mass.

(C) depends partly upon hormonal status. -  This is the correct choice. Since the passage differentiates between men and women, and women of different ethnicities, it can be inferred that harmonal status does somehoe play a role in affecting peak bone loss.

(D) may play a role in determining the rate of decrease in estrogen and progesterone levels. -  not mentioned in the passage

(E) is not dependent upon genetic makeup. -  This is the opposite of what is stated in the passage. It is definitely dependent on the genetic makeup.

Correct answer - (C)

pabpinor · Answer

1. Based upon the passage, which of the following is LEAST clearly a factor affecting the rate of decline in bone mass?

(A) Gender  Wrong.   Is mentioned as a clear sign of a factor in the second paragraph.  
 (B) Exposure to sunlight   Right.   This is mentioned as an important variable but not a major factor, its level of importance is less than the others. 
(C) Progesterone levels  Wrong.   At the last sentence is made clear that it is a major factor in bone mass loss.  
(D) Age  Wrong.   We are talking of the impact of bone loss on elderly women, it is a main one.  
(E) Estrogen levels  Wrong.   From the first paragraph and through the second it is mentioned clearly as having a profound effect.

2. In discussing the “marked effect of gender” (Highlighted), the author assumes all of the following EXCEPT

(A) the difference in incidence of hip fractures is not due instead to different rates of bone loss.  Wrong.   This is assumed as we are talking that the difference is on the gender, not on something else (if not there won't be a gender difference but a bone-loss difference).  
(B) the incidence of hip fractures among elderly men as compared to elderly women is representative of the total number of bone fractures among elderly men as compared to elderly women.  Wrong.   This has to be a must, if not we could not use hip breaking to compare bone fragility.  
(C) elderly women are not more accident-prone than elderly men.  Wrong.   Same than the previous one, if hip accidents are different or not representative we cannot compare by gender.  
(D) the population upon which the cited statistic is based includes both African Americans and Caucasians.  Wrong.   It mentions that the difference is between men and women without segmenting, then a difference between Caucasian and African American WOMEN is introduced, we have to assume that there is no difference between men.  
 (E) men achieve peak bone mass at the same age as women.   Right.   We do not compare the age to achieve peak bone mass but its loss, so we do not need to know when it was achieved.

3. It can be inferred from the passage that the peak amount of bone mass in women

(A) is not affected by either pregnancy or lactation.   Right.   Clearly is stated at the end of the second paragraph that pregnancy and lactation affect bone loss rate only but not indicate impact on peak bone mass. 
(B) is determined primarily by diet.  Wrong.   Diet is indicated to be an important variable among others, not a primarly one.  
(C) depends partly upon hormonal status.  Wrong.   This is also in the last sentence, but to impact skeletal bone mass not peak bone mass.  
(D) may play a role in determining the rate of decrease in estrogen and progesterone levels.  Wrong.   As the previous answer, it is not related to peak bone mass but skeletal bone loss.  
(E) is not dependent upon genetic makeup.  Wrong.   In the second sentence of the second paragraph we can find that it is dependent of it.

Regards,
Pablo

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OAs are posted, if anyone needs OE kindly let me know.

1. B
2. E
3. A

Explanations by  AnirudhaS  and  pabpinor  are authentic here but i can say that reasoning by  AnirudhaS  is on top.

ayushgarg32  and  abcdddddd  hard luck for you guys but keep it on and this is how we learns.

Thanks and good luck

ayushgarg32 · Answer

SajjadAhmad 
It is never about luck man, I must have gone somewhere wrong, and that's what I want to know, if you could help me in personal message, where did I go wrong, then it would be very very helpful, because my aim is to ensure that by the end of April I should be able to correct all questions of the respective RC's posted by you.

pabpinor · Answer

Hey ayushgarg32 Maybe reading the other explanations may help you understand the solutions better? I believe none can know where you went wrong but yourself, you have the official answers and some explanations on them, maybe you can try to retake them and write down what do you think. A good exercise would be to write down also why you eliminate each of the other answers. AnirudhaS and myself provided our thoughts on all the answers so you may check also the ones that are wrong

Regards, Pablo

Viraj2196 · Answer

SajjadAhmad  Please post explanation for Q2. I marked it (C). Can anybody explain why that can't be the answer? Not understood the above explanations.

AnirudhaS · Answer

It is an assumption question. Try to negate the sentence and see if the argument is still valid. Also don't forget it's an EXCEPT question. Do for 4 choices the assumption must be true.

Posted from my mobile device

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. In discussing the “marked effect of gender” (Highlighted), the author assumes all of the following EXCEPT

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

As long as the population upon which the cited statistic was based excluded those who had not yet achieved peak bone mass, it does not make a difference whether the men in the group achieved their peak bone mass at a different age than the women.

The correct answer is (E).

Abhishekrao12 · Answer

1. Based upon the passage, which of the following is LEAST clearly a factor affecting the rate of decline in bone mass?

(A) Gender
(B) Exposure to sunlight
(C) Progesterone levels
(D) Age
(E) Estrogen levels

Can you explain why age is not the answer for the 1st question ?
@sajjadahmed

Sajjad1994 · Answer

If you say D should be the answer it looks like you are ignoring the world  LEAST  in the questions this is an  EXCEPT  question and age is mentioned 2-3 times in the passages in the first and in the second paragraph so age could not b the  LEAST  factor affecting the rate of decline in bone mass.

Diseases associated with aging in women are difficult to correlate explicitly with estrogen deficiency because  aging and genetics are important influences  in the development of such diseases. A number of studies, however, indicate a profound effect of estrogen deficiency in syndromes such as cardiovascular disease (including atherosclerosis and stroke) and osteoporosis—the loss and increasing fragility of bone  in aging individuals.

The amount of bone in the  elderly skeleton —a key determinant in its susceptibility to fractures—is believed to be a function of two major factors. The first is the peak amount of bone mass attained, determined to a large extent by genetic inheritance. The marked effect of gender is obvious— elderly men  experience only one-half as many hip fractures per capita as elderly women. However, African American women have a lower incidence of osteoporotic fractures than Caucasian women. Other important variables include diet, exposure to sunlight, and physical activity. The second major factor is the rate of bone loss after peak bone mass has been attained. While many of the variables that affect peak bone mass also affect rates of bone loss, additional factors influencing bone loss include physiological stresses such as pregnancy and lactation. It is hormonal status, however, reflected primarily by estrogen and progesterone levels, that may exert the greatest effect on rates of decline in skeletal mass.

See the underlined text above.

Linhtang · Answer

SajjadAhmad , is that "exposure to sunlight" mentioned only once in the passage, then it is the least important factor to affect the rate of decline in bone mass?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

"Mentioned only once"  is not the criteria for least important, it is the words that make sense and we come to know what is least and what is the most important, try to concentrate on the overall meaning and understanding of the passage, It is possible that something is mentioned many time but might not important and the something even didn't mentioned explicitly but might be totally important.

Read, Understand, Apply and Conclude to reach on a point.

Thanks

Hoozan · Answer

Keeping the tone of the passage in mind, each of the options have been regarded as an important factor. So how do we decide which modifier used for the options makes the option the LEAST?

(A) Gender -  Marked effect

(B) Exposure to sunlight -  Other  important  variables

(C) Progesterone levels and (E) Estrogen levels -  It is hormonal status, however, reflected primarily by estrogen and progesterone levels, that may exert the greatest effect

(D) Age -  Aging and genetics are  important  factors

In (D) and (B) we use the word  important  So what makes us choose (B) as the LEAST important factor? Is it because for (C) we say " other  important variables"? Moreover how can we conclude that  marked effect  used in (A) makes this option more important over (B)  important variables .

We must also observe that "age" has been used as an important factor for "diseases". Why the question stem is talking about "decline in bone mass". Is this "decline in bone mass" qualified as a disease? I guess... but I am not too sure.

Overall please could someone help me understand the  tone of importance  assigned to each option?

PiyushKoranne · Answer

I have a doubt in the (A.) option of the 2nd Question.
A.) the difference in incidence of hip fractures is not due instead to  different rates of bone loss .
 Even if there is a difference in the rates of bone loss between men and women, then too it supports the assertion that gender is a factor. So we need not assume that rates of bone loss are NOT different. Because even if they are different, that itself may be due to gender. . Doesn't it ?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation 1: https://gmatclub.com/forum/diseases-ass ... l#p2488981 Explanation 2: https://gmatclub.com/forum/diseases-ass ... l#p2489050 Explanation 3: (Official) https://gmatclub.com/forum/diseases-ass ... l#p2491214 Best.

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Diseases associated with aging in women are difficult to correlate exp

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