Table of Contents
Advertisement
Helpful information
What is Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is the force that blood exerts on
the arteries. This force is constantly changing as
the heart beats. When the heart contracts, blood
pressure reaches its highest value. This is called
systolic blood pressure. When the heart relaxes
between beats, the value of blood pressure is
lower. This is called the diastolic blood pressure.
The unit of measure for blood pressure is the mil-
limeter of mercury, abbreviated mmHg.
For example, an individual's blood pressure may
be measured as 120 mmHg (systolic) and 80
over 80" and written as "120/80". Remember
that blood pressure varies throughout the day.
Food intake, smoking, time of day, stress, level
of exercise and many other factors can affect it.
Typical daily blood pressure fluctuations
(Example: 35year-old
male)
What is High Blood Pressure?
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a condi-
tion where an individual's blood pressure
Advertisement
Table of Contents
