Abstract:
The heart supplies the organs and tissuesof the body with blood. With every beat, itpumps blood into the large blood vessels ofthe circulatory system. As the blood movesaround the body, it puts pressure on thewalls of the vessels. Blood pressurereadings are made up of two values such asS
ystolic blood pressure is the pressurewhen the heart beats – while the heartmuscle is contracting (squeezing) andpumping oxygen-rich blood into the bloodvessels. Diastolic blood pressure is thepressure on the blood vessels when theheart muscle relaxes. The diast
olic pressureis always lower than the systolic pressure.
Blood pressure is measured in units ofmillimeters of mercury (mmHg). Thereadings are always given in pairs, with theupper (systolic) value first, followed by thelower (diastolic) value.
So someone whohas a reading of 132/88 mmHg (oftenspoken “132 over 88”) has a systolic bloodpressure of 132 mmHg, and a diastolicblood pressure of 88 mmHg.
