Meaning Of Blood Pressure Measurement Reading
I know you want to know what those blood pressure measurements mean. When you visit the hospital for treatment, the nurses do take vital signs. One of them is the blood pressure reading. They either use a sphygmomanometer and stethoscope or a digital blood pressure measuring device. The reading always comes with two figures. An upper and lower number.
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As we age, the need to regularly check blood pressure increases. Understanding the figure can mean life and death. Those figures tell alot about a person's health. The goal is to keep it at normal range. High blood pressure can lead to heart attack, heart failure, stroke and kidney disease.
In this blog post, we will see the definition of blood pressure, the meaning of those figures in blood pressure measurement and its significance. One funny thing is that the accepted normal range has remained the same over the years. But the classification of hypertension (high blood pressure) and treatment option have changed overtime.
Blood Pressure Definition
The arteries carry blood away from the heart to different parts of the body. When the heart pumps blood, it enters the arteries. The force of contraction of the heart forces blood with a pressure through the arteries. There are different types of arteries in the body. They are all designed in such a way that the volume of blood they carry is proportional to their size. This sends an equal amount of pressure from the blood to the arteries all over the body.
Blood pressure is the measurement of the pressure the blood exerts in the arteries. There are two figures in blood pressure measurement. The first or upper figure is called the systolic blood pressure. It is the pressure the blood exerts on the arteries when the heart pumps blood through it. It is usually high. The lower figure is the diastolic blood pressure. It is the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest. When the heart is at rest, it is receiving blood from the veins.
Blood Pressure Reading
The American Heart Association has created recommendations for blood pressure reading. This is to assist medical personnel on how to go about treatment and when to give health education on lifestyle changes.
Blood pressure reading
Blood Pressure Classification
| Classification | Systolic | Diastolic | Unit |
| Normal | 90-120 | 60-80 | mmHg |
| Prehypertension | 120-139 | 80-89 | mmHg |
| Hypertension stage 1 | 140-159 | 90-99 | mmHg |
| Hypertension stage 2 | ≥160 | ≥100 | mmHg |
| Hypertension crisis | ≥180 | ≥110 | mmHg |
In practice, most people have their blood pressure reading fall into two categories. The systolic can be in pre-hypertension while the diastolic appears normal. Systolic hypertension is more important than diastolic hypertension for people above 40 years of age. Systolic is closely linked to stroke and other cardiovascular disease.
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For people below the age of 40 years of age, diastolic blood pressure reading is a better way of accessing their risk factors. However, young people are less likely to have a stroke or heart attack.
Pulse pressure is the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Normal range is usually about 40-60mmHg. Above this range is called wide pulse pressure. This can be a problem. This can be caused by valve regurgitation, aortic stiffening, severe iron deficiency anaemia or hyperthyroidism. This increases the risk of atrial fibrillation. It is also associated with coronary artery or heart attack.
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