Davis County Clipper | 1981-02-25 | Page 7 | Explains Just What is High Blood Pressure

Explains Just What Is High Blood Pressure By DR. HAROLD B. LKiON During these next few discussions dis-cussions about hypertension or high blood pressure, many readers might like to have a good general definition of blood pressure itself. I'VE HAD lots of patients ask me just what those blood pressure numbers mean! One's blood pressure is represented rep-resented by two significant numbers: the upper and the lower. These are called the systolic and diastolic blood pressures, respectively. THE HEART is a pump which causes blood to be distributed dis-tributed to all parts of the body. Its pump-like action is continuous and achieves its purpose by rhythmic contractions contrac-tions and dilatations (or relaxations). relaxa-tions). . .normally about 72 times per minute. Systolic means "contraction." "contrac-tion." DIASTOLIC means "dilatation." The upper blood pressure number is a measure of that pressure which the heart must exert to push the blood out of the chambers into the blood vessels. Since this action occurs when the heart contracts, con-tracts, it is called the systolic blood pressure. CONVERSELY, the lower blood pressure number is a measure me-asure of the pressure that is exerted upon the heart muscle itself when the heart is at rest, filling up its chambers for the next contraction. Since this action ac-tion occurs between beats, il is termed diastolic blood pressure. The standard of measurement measure-ment in recording blood pressure press-ure is international, and it is reported as millimeters of Mercury. Mer-cury. IN (iENERAL. a healthy adult should have a systolic blood pressure of 110 to I JO millimeters of Mercury. Hisdi-astolic Hisdi-astolic blood pressure should be from 70 to 90 millimeters of Mercury. Therefore, an average normal nor-mal blood pressure should be abouf 120 over 80.