Knowra Blood pressure Blood pressure Blood pressure is the force circulating blood exerts against vessel walls. Arterial readings report systolic pressure during heart contraction and diastolic pressure between contractions.
Cardiac cycle : The sequence of heart muscle contraction and relaxation that moves blood through the chambers and into the arteries. Systolic and diastolic readings correspond to different phases of this cycle.
Systolic pressure : The highest arterial pressure reached during a heartbeat, when the ventricles contract. It is the upper number in a standard blood-pressure reading.
Hypertension : A persistent elevation of arterial blood pressure that increases the risk of cardiovascular and kidney disease. It is the principal chronic disorder identified through blood-pressure measurement.
Atherosclerosis : A disease in which plaques accumulate within artery walls, narrowing and stiffening the arteries. High pressure can damage arterial lining and compounds the risks associated with plaque disease.
Venous pressure : The pressure of blood within veins, which is generally much lower than arterial pressure. It distinguishes pressure in the return-to-heart circulation from the arterial readings used routinely.
Vascular resistance : The opposition blood encounters as it flows through blood vessels, especially small arteries and arterioles. Changes in vessel diameter alter resistance and strongly influence arterial pressure.
Diastolic pressure : The lowest arterial pressure between heartbeats, while the ventricles relax and refill. It is the lower number in a standard blood-pressure reading.
Hypotension : Abnormally low blood pressure that may impair blood flow to organs or cause symptoms. It shows that clinically significant pressure problems can involve readings that are too low.
Left ventricular hypertrophy : Thickening of the heart’s left ventricular muscle, often caused by sustained pressure overload. The heart may remodel when it must pump against persistently elevated arterial pressure.
Intracranial pressure : The pressure inside the skull, produced by brain tissue, cerebrospinal fluid, and blood. Despite the shared word, it measures pressure in a different compartment from arterial blood pressure.
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