Blood pressure

Blood pressure is a measurement of the force applied to the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood through the body. The pressure is determined by the force and amount of blood pumped, and the size and flexibility of the arteries.
Blood pressure is continually changing depending on activity, temperature, diet, emotional state, posture, physical state, and medication use.



Blood pressure is the force applied against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood through the body. The pressure is determined by the force and amount of blood pumped and the size and flexibility of the arteries.

blood pressure check



To measure blood pressure, your doctor uses an instrument call a "sphygmomanometer," more often referred to as a blood pressure cuff. The cuff is wrapped around your upper arm and inflated to stop the flow of blood in your artery. As the cuff is slowly deflated, your doctor uses a stethoscope to listen to the blood pumping through the artery. These pumping sounds register on a gauge attached to the cuff. The first pumping sound your doctor hears is recorded as the systolic pressure, and the last sound is the diastolic pressure.

Effects of Age on Blood Pressure



Blood vessels become less elastic with age. The "average" blood pressure increases from 120/70 to 150/90 and may persist slightly high even if treated. The blood vessels respond more slowly to a change in body position.

High Blood Pressure Tests



Routine lab tests are recommended before beginning treatment of high blood pressure to determine organ or tissue damage or other risk factors. These lab tests include urinalysis, blood cell count, blood chemistry (potassium, sodium, creatinine, fasting glucose, total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol), and an ECG (electrocardiogram). Additional tests may be recommended based on your condition.

Monitoring Blood Pressure


Hypertension is a disorder characterized by chronically high blood pressure. It must be monitored, treated and controlled by medication, lifestyle changes, or a combination of both.

Exercise Can Lower Blood Pressure



Reducing your weight by just 10 pounds may be enough to lower your blood pressure. Losing weight can help to enhance the effects of high blood pressure medication and may also reduce other risk factors, such as diabetes and high bad cholesterol.



A diet that is effective in lowering blood pressure is called Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH).

Untreated Hypertension



Hypertension is a disorder characterized by chronically high blood pressure. It must be monitored, treated and controlled by medication, lifestyle changes, or a combination of both

In Brief:

A low-salt, heart-healthy diet is staging a comeback as some 60-plus drugs fail to rein in rising hypertension rates.

As many as half of the 70 million Americans with hypertension are sensitive to salt, versus 10 percent of Americans in general.

When combined with the right diet, cutting back on salt can lower blood pressure as well as any single hypertension pill.

Older, cheaper drugs for high blood pressure may work just as well as, or better than, new and expensive ones.