Blood Pressure

Blood Pressure, pressure of circulating blood against the walls of the arteries
(blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body). Blood p
ressure is an important indicator of the health of the circulatory system. Any c
ondition that dilates or contracts the arteries or affects their elasticity, or
any disease of the heart that interferes with its pumping power, affects blood p
ressure.
In a healthy human being, blood pressure remains within a certain average range.
The complex nervous system mechanisms that balance and coordinate the activity
of the heart and arterial muscles permit great local variation in the rate of bl
ood flow without disturbing the general blood pressure.
Hemoglobin, the iron-protein compound that gives blood its red color, also plays
a role in regulating local variation in blood pressure. Hemoglobin carries nitr
ic oxide, a gas that relaxes the blood vessel walls. Hemoglobin controls the exp
ansion and contraction of blood vessels, and thus blood pressure, by regulating
the amount of nitric oxide to which the vessels are exposed.
Two measurements are used to describe blood pressure. Systolic pressure measures
blood pressure when the heart contracts to empty its blood into the circulatory
system. Diastolic pressure measures blood pressure when the heart relaxes and f
ills with blood. Systolic and diastolic pressure are measured in millimeters of
mercury (abbreviated mm Hg) using an instrument called a sphygmomanometer. This
instrument consists of an inflatable rubber cuff connected to a pressure-detecti
ng device with a dial. The cuff is wrapped around the upper arm and inflated by
squeezing a rubber bulb connected to it by a tube. Meanwhile, a health-care prof
essional listens to a stethoscope applied to an artery in the lower arm. As the
cuff inflates, it gradually compresses the artery. The point at which the cuff s
tops the circulation and at which no pulsations can be heard through the stethos
cope is read as the systolic pressure. As the cuff is slowly deflated, a spurtin
g sound can be heard when the heart contraction forces blood through the compres
sed artery. The cuff is then allowed gradually to deflate further until the bloo
d is flowing smoothly again and no further spurting sound is heard. A reading at
this point shows the diastolic pressure that occurs during relaxation of the he
art. Normal blood pressure in an adult is less than 120/80 mm Hg. The first numb
er describes systolic pressure, while the second number describes diastolic pres
sure.
Blood pressure is influenced by a wide range of factors and varies between indiv
iduals and in the same individual at different times. For instance, blood pressu
re naturally increases with age because the arteries lose the elasticity that, i
n younger people, absorbs the force of heart contractions. Other factors, such a
s emotions, exercise, or stress, may temporarily raise blood pressure.
Abnormally high blood pressure, known as hypertension, that remains untreated ca
n lead to stroke, heart attack, and kidney or heart failure. Hypertension may ha
ve no known cause or it may result from heart or blood vessel disorders or from
diseases affecting other parts of the body. Abnormally low blood pressure, known
as hypotension, may be caused by shock, malnutrition, or some other disease or
injury.
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