Blood Pressure
Blood Pressure
Blood Pressure (pronunciation: /blʌd 'prɛʃər/) is a critical measure of the force that your heart uses to pump blood around your body. It is usually measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and is given as two figures: systolic pressure and diastolic pressure.
Etymology
The term "Blood Pressure" is derived from the English words "blood" and "pressure". "Blood" comes from the Old English blōd, which is akin to the Old High German bluot, both meaning blood. "Pressure" comes from the Latin pressura, meaning pressing.
Systolic Pressure
Systolic Pressure (pronunciation: /sɪˈstɒlɪk 'prɛʃər/) is the highest level of blood pressure and represents the force exerted by the heart as it pumps blood to the body.
Diastolic Pressure
Diastolic Pressure (pronunciation: /daɪəˈstɒlɪk 'prɛʃər/) is the lowest level of blood pressure representing the force exerted by the heart as it fills with blood.
Related Terms
- Hypertension - A condition characterized by consistently high blood pressure.
- Hypotension - A condition characterized by consistently low blood pressure.
- Pulse Pressure - The difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
- Mean Arterial Pressure - The average blood pressure in an individual during a single cardiac cycle.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Blood Pressure
- Wikipedia's article - Blood Pressure
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