Definition
Blood pressure is the hydrostatic pressure exerted by circulating blood on the walls of a blood vessel; it is highest in the aorta and large systemic areas. Blood pressure is recorded by two values: systolic blood pressure, which is measured after the heart contracts, and diastolic blood pressure, which is measured before the heart contracts. Systolic blood pressure <120 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure <80 mmHg are considered within normal range. A person is considered to have hypertension when their systolic blood pressure is greater than 140 mmHg or their diastolic blood pressure is greater than 90 mmHg. See chart below for blood pressure classifications. Blood pressure is commonly used by physicians as a way to gauge overall cardiovascular function and health of individuals (Fig. 1).
Categories of blood pressure
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References and Readings
Tortora, G. J., & Grabowski, S. R. (1996). Principles of anatomy and physiology (8th ed.). New York: Harper Collins College Publishers.
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© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media, New York
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Ginty, A.T. (2013). Blood Pressure. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_442
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