What is the meaning of blood pressure numbers? What is the best blood pressure reading?
What is blood pressure? Blood pressure is a measurement of the pressure exerted by the blood rushing through the arteries. It is controlled mainly by the heart muscle, the many small arteries (arterioles) in the circulatory system, and proper kidney function. The strength of the heart determines the force with which the blood is pumped; the size of the small arteries (and their clear or clogged condition) determines arterial resistance to blood flow, and the kidneys control the amount of fluids in the body, which raise or lower the volume of blood. When blood pressure is taken, two sets of numbers are recorded: the higher number is the systolic pressure, measured at the peak of the heart’s contraction (from the Greek systellein , “to shorten”), and the lower number is the diastolic pressure, measured when the heart is dilated and resting for an instant between beats (from the Greek diastelltin, “to dilate”). The normal range, when you are resting and free from stress, varies ...