Blood Pressure Monitor  (630-0639)     Preparation     Faxback Doc. # 3430

ABOUT BLOOD PRESSURE

Blood pressure is the pressure exerted on your circulatory system as your
heart pumps blood through your arteries and veins (blood vessels).  The
heart is a muscular organ that acts as a pump.  The heart contracts and
squeezes the blood through the blood vessels, exerting pressure on the
circulatory system.  The heart then relaxes to allow blood to flow into it
for the next pumping cycle.

The pressure at contraction is called systolic, and the pressure at
relaxation is called diastolic.  When taking a blood pressure reading, it
is customary to first list the systolic value and then the diastolic
value.

For a young adult in good health, most physicians consider 120/70 to be
the general guideline of normal blood pressure.  Depending on your age,
weight, and general condition, your doctor might consider a different
value to be normal.  If blood pressure is consistently measured above what
is considered normal for a particular individual, it is called
hypertension.  Consult with your doctor to determine what blood pressure
is normal for you.

Remember that blood pressure can fluctuate considerably.  All of these
factors can influence your blood pressure:

    Your emotional state

    Natural variations occurring with daily activities

    Smoking

    Drinking alcoholic or caffeinated beverages

    Eating

    Taking certain medications

    Physical exertion

    Measure your blood pressure frequently, under controlled conditions.
    Never rely on a single reading as an accurate measurement.

(br/all-12/05/94)