The heart is a beating muscle that pumps oxygen rich blood to the body through a network of arteries & veins. What we refer to as ‘blood pressure’ is the measurement taken when the heart’s left ventricle contracts and blood is forced through the arteries.

As the blood travels from the heart it exerts pressure against the walls of the arteries.

This is referred to as ‘Blood Pressure”.

 

Blood pressure is used to evaluate the force & amount of blood being pumped from the heart as well as the condition & flexibility of the arteries.

 

There are two components in a ‘blood pressure’s measure, the first is ‘Systolic pressure’ where blood pressure is at it’s highest.

 

The second component is the Diastolic pressure, this measure is obtained when blood pressure is at it’s lowest point, and the heart is in it’s rest between beats.

 

The combined measurement is read as the Systolic Pressure over Diastolic Pressure.

 

Abnormally high pressure within the arteries is called Hypertension or High Blood Pressure, if same result shows on 3 separate occasions.

 

Follow the Blog to discover more about High Blood Pressure & Hypertension.