Your heart is an important muscular organ, providing oxygen and nutrients to every cell in the body via the circulatory system. This is comprised of a complex network of blood vessels. Arteries deliver oxygen-rich blood out into the body and veins take deoxygenated blood back to the heart for recycling. The blood also carries a waste product, carbon dioxide, to the lungs where it is expelled out into the air.
As the blood is pumped through the narrow space of the blood vessels, resistance is produced against the blood vessel walls – this is called the blood pressure. 1 If you have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, your heart has to work harder to pump blood through your body, which places increased strain on your heart and blood vessels. Pulmonary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure occurring specifically in the arteries that supply the lungs. If left untreated, hypertension can lead to weakening of the heart muscle or damage to the arteries, both of which can lead to life-threatening complications. 2
Multiple factors can affect your blood pressure level, such as your age, heart condition, emotions, activity, and the medications you may already be taking. For this reason, one high blood pressure reading on its own does not mean you have hypertension - in order to correctly diagnose the condition, multiple blood pressure readings are taken over a period of several weeks. 5 If you have consistently high blood pressure over this testing period it’s likely you will be diagnosed with hypertension.
Blood pressure is usually measured using a stethoscope to listen with, and a device known as a sphygmomanometer, which consists of an arm cuff, dial, pump, and valve. 6 In order to find your average blood pressure level, this measurement is usually done after you’ve been resting comfortably for at least five minutes. 6 There are two measurements used to assess your blood pressure: 2
A blood pressure measurement is usually given as the relationship between these two numbers, measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg), with systolic pressure given as the first number, and diastolic pressure as the second. As an example, a blood pressure measurement of 120/80mmHg means you have a systolic pressure of 120 millimetres of mercury, and a diastolic pressure of 80 millimetres of mercury. 2
There are four levels of blood pressure that doctors use to diagnose the condition:5
If you have a blood pressure level that is at prehypertension levels or above, you should consult with your doctor for advice.
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Last Updated 12/06/2009 13:26:39
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