Blood Pressure

Assessing and Measuring

Blood Pressure
● The force of blood pressing against the walls of arteries as blood moves
through them
● Arteries change shape in response to changing blood pressure
● Sphygmomanometer or Blood Pressure Cuf – the apparatus used to
measure blood pressure
Systolic and Diastolic Pressure
● Systolic Pressure
○ Highest blood pressure in arteries when the ventricles contract

○ Arteries stretch in response to allow blood through

● Diastolic Pressure
○ Lowest blood pressure in arteries when ventricles relax

○ Arteries contract into their normal shape

Blood Pressure Measurement
● Measurement is always written as a fraction: systolic pressure / diastolic
pressure
● Units of measurement used are millimeters of mercury (mmHg)
● Blood pressure of an average healthy person is 120 mmHg / 80 mmHg

○ Pronounced “120 over 80”

○ Systolic pressure = 120 mmHg, Diastolic pressure = 80 mmHg

Factors that Affect Blood
Pressure
● Diameter of blood vessels
● Heart rate
● Age
● Gender
● Health of organ systems
Regulation of Blood Pressure
● Short-term (hour to hour)
○ Diameter of blood vessels and heart rate are regulated by negative feedback

○ Pressure receptors in walls of major arteries detect pressure and send signals to brain

■ If too high – receptors are stretched and brain tells blood vessels to widen and
heart rate to slow down

■ If too low – receptors are relaxed and brain tells blood vessels to constrict and
heart to beat faster
 Blood
Pressure
Homework
● Page 281 – # 17 – 19
● Page 283 – #20 -23