In the name of ALLAH

University of Raparin
Biology Department (1 st stage )
General Biology

Blood Pressure

Supervision:
Sleman Yousif

Prepared by:
Hevy Mustafa Wsw
Nian Hassan Ahmed

1
 Introduction
What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of
your arteries. Each time your heart beats, it pumps blood into the arteries.
Your blood pressure is highest when your heart beats, pumping the blood.
This is called systolic pressure. When your heart is at rest, between beats,
your blood pressure falls. This is called diastolic pressure.
Your blood pressure reading uses these two numbers. Usually the systolic
number comes before or above the diastolic number. For example, 120/80
means a systolic of 120 and a diastolic of 80.

**************************
Content
What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is the pressure of blood pushing against the walls of your
arteries. Arteries carry blood from your heart to other parts of your body.
Your blood pressure normally rises and falls throughout the day

2
What Does the Systolic Blood Pressure Number Mean?
When your heart beats, it squeezes and pushes blood through your
arteries to the rest of your body. This force creates pressure on those
blood vessels, and that's your systolic blood pressure.

Here’s how to understand your systolic blood pressure number:

Normal: Below 120

Elevated: 120-129
Stage 1 high blood pressure (also called hypertension): 130-139
Stage 2 hypertension: 140 or more
Hypertensive crisis: 180 or more. Call 911.
**************************

Blood Pressure Ranges

If you have normal blood pressure, your blood pressure is less than
120/80. Stick with an active lifestyle and healthy diet to keep that going.
Is your blood pressure above the normal range, in either or both systolic
and diastolic levels? Your doctor will want to have more than one blood
pressure reading before diagnosing hypertension.

Treatments include lifestyle changes, and if that’s not enough, may also
include medications.

Lifestyle changes include:

• Cutting back on sodium. Ask your doctor what your daily sodium limit
should be. Read the Nutrition Facts label on food products.
• Getting
more exercise. Studies show benefits with 3-4 sessions per week, each

3
lasting 40 minutes, of aerobic exercise (the kind that makes your heart
beat faster).
• Losing weight, if you’re overweight. You can expect to shave about 1
point off your blood pressure numbers for each pound lost.
• Eating a healthy diet. The DASH diet is designed to improve blood
pressure. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It
favors vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, poultry, fish, and
chicken.
• Limiting alcohol to no more than one drink a day for women or two for
men.

If you also need medication to lower your blood pressure, there are
several types:
• Diuretics
• ACE inhibitors
• Alpha blockers
• Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
• Beta-blockers
• Calcium channel blockers
• Central agonists
• Vasodilators
• Combination medications
**************************

4
What is high blood pressure (hypertension)?
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is blood pressure that is
higher than normal. Your blood pressure changes throughout the day
based on your activities. Having blood pressure measures consistently
above normal may result in a diagnosis of high blood pressure (or
hypertension).

The higher your blood pressure levels, the more risk you have for other
health problems, such as heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

Your health care team can diagnose high blood pressure and make
treatment decisions by reviewing your systolic and diastolic blood
pressure levels and comparing them to levels found in certain guidelines.

The guidelines used to diagnose high blood pressure may differ from
health care professional to health care professional:
• Some health care professionals diagnose patients with high blood
pressure if their blood pressure is consistently 140/90 mm Hg or higher.2
This limit is based on a guideline released in 2003, as seen in the table
below.
• Other health care professionals diagnose patients with high blood
pressure if their blood pressure is consistently 130/80 mm Hg or higher.1
This limit is based on a guideline released in 2017, as seen in the table
below.

5
What are the signs and symptoms of high blood pressure?
High blood pressure usually has no warning signs or symptoms, and
many people do not know they have it. Measuring your blood pressure is
the only way to know whether you have high blood pressure.
What causes high blood pressure?
High blood pressure usually develops over time. It can happen because of
unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as not getting enough regular physical
activity. Certain health conditions, such as diabetes and having obesity,
can also increase the risk for developing high blood pressure. High blood
pressure can also happen during pregnancy.
You can manage your blood pressure to lower your risk for serious health
problems that may affect your heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes.
What problems does high blood pressure cause?
High blood pressure can damage your health in many ways. It can
seriously hurt important organs like your heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes.
The good news is that, in most cases, you can manage your blood
pressure to lower your risk for serious health problems.

Heart Attack and Heart Disease

High blood pressure can damage your arteries by making them less
elastic, which decreases the flow of blood and oxygen to your heart and
leads to heart disease. In addition, decreased blood flow to the heart can
cause:
• Chest pain, also called angina.
• Heart attack, which happens when the blood supply to your heart is
blocked and heart muscle begins to die without enough oxygen. The
longer the blood flow is blocked, the greater the damage to the heart.
• Heart failure, a condition that means your heart can’t pump enough
blood and oxygen to your other organs.

6
Stroke and Brain Problems
High blood pressure can cause the arteries that supply blood and oxygen
to the brain to burst or be blocked, causing a stroke. Brain cells die during
a stroke because they do not get enough oxygen. Stroke can cause serious
disabilities in speech, movement, and other basic activities. A stroke can
also kill you.
Having high blood pressure, especially in midlife, is linked to having
poorer cognitive function and dementia later in life. Learn more about the
link between high blood pressure and dementia from the National
Institutes of Health’s Mind Your Risks external icon campaign.

Kidney Disease
Adults with diabetes, high blood pressure, or both have a higher risk of
developing chronic kidney disease than those without these conditions.

How do I know if I have high blood pressure?

There’s only one way to know if you have high blood pressure: Have a
doctor or other health professional measure it. Measuring your blood
pressure is quick and painless.
Talk with your health care team about regularly measuring your blood
pressure at home, also called self-measured blood pressure (SMBP)
monitoring.
High blood pressure is called the ―silent killer‖ because it usually has no
warning signs or symptoms, and many people do not know they have it.

What can I do to prevent or manage high blood pressure?

Many people with high blood pressure can lower their blood pressure into
a healthy range or keep their numbers in a healthy range by making
lifestyle changes.

7
Talk with your health care team about:
• Getting at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week (about 30
minutes a day, 5 days a week)
• Not smoking
• Eating a healthy diet, including limiting sodium (salt) and alcohol
• Keeping a healthy weight
• Managing stress
Learn more about ways to manage and prevent high blood pressure.
In addition to making positive lifestyle changes, some people with high
blood pressure need to take medicine to manage their blood pressure.
Learn more about medicines for high blood pressure.
Talk with your health care team right away if you think you have high
blood pressure or if you’ve been told you have high blood pressure but do
not have it under control.
By taking action to lower your blood pressure, you can help protect
yourself against heart disease and stroke, also sometimes called
cardiovascular disease (CVD).
**************************

Low blood pressure

Low blood pressure might seem desirable, and for some people, it causes
no problems. However, for many people, abnormally low blood pressure
(hypotension) can cause dizziness and fainting. In severe cases, low blood
pressure can be life-threatening.
A blood pressure reading lower than 90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg)
for the top number (systolic) or 60 mm Hg for the bottom number
(diastolic) is generally considered low blood pressure.
The causes of low blood pressure can range from dehydration to serious
medical disorders. It's important to find out what's causing your low
blood pressure so that it can be treated.

8
Symptoms
For some people, low blood pressure signals an underlying problem,
especially when it drops suddenly or is accompanied by signs and
symptoms such as:
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Fainting
• Blurred or fading vision
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Lack of concentration

Shock
Extreme hypotension can result in this life-threatening condition. Signs
and symptoms include:
• Confusion, especially in older people
• Cold, clammy, pale skin
• Rapid, shallow breathing
• Weak and rapid pulse

When to see a doctor

If you have signs or symptoms of shock, seek emergency medical help.
If you have consistently low blood pressure readings but feel fine, your
doctor will likely just monitor you during routine exams.
Even occasional dizziness or lightheadedness may be a relatively minor
problem — the result of mild dehydration from too much time in the sun
or a hot tub, for example. Still, it's important to see your doctor if you
have signs or symptoms of low blood pressure because they can point to

9
more-serious problems. It can be helpful to keep a record of your
symptoms, when they occur and what you're doing at the time.

Causes
Blood pressure is a measurement of the pressure in your arteries during
the active and resting phases of each heartbeat.

• Systolic pressure: The top number in a blood pressure reading is the

amount of pressure your heart produces when pumping blood through
your arteries to the rest of your body.
• Diastolic pressure: The bottom number in a blood pressure reading
refers to the amount of pressure in your arteries when your heart is at rest
between beats.

Current guidelines identify normal blood pressure as lower than 120/80

mm Hg.
Blood pressure varies throughout the day, depending on:
• Body position

• Breathing rhythm
• Stress level
• Physical condition
• Medications you take
• What you eat and drink
• Time of day

Blood pressure is usually lowest at night and rises sharply on waking…

11
 Blood pressure test
A blood pressure test checks if your blood pressure is healthy, or if
it's high or low.
Blood pressure is the term used to describe the strength with which your
blood pushes on the sides of your arteries as it's pumped around your
body.
Low blood pressure (hypotension): is not usually a problem, although it
can cause dizziness and fainting in some people.
High blood pressure (hypertension): can increase your risk of
developing serious problems, such as heart attacks and strokes, if it's not
treated.
Having this quick test is the only way to find out what your blood
pressure is – and it could save your life.

When and where to get your blood pressure tested

You should have a blood pressure test if you're worried about your blood
pressure at any time.
If you're over 40, you can have this test done as part of an NHS Health
Check, which is offered to adults in England aged 40 to 74 every 5 years.
If you have been diagnosed with high or low blood pressure, or you have
a high risk of developing either, you may need more frequent checks of
your blood pressure.
You can get your blood pressure tested at a number of places, including:
• your local GP surgery
• some pharmacies
• some workplaces

11
How blood pressure is tested
Blood pressure machines vary, but they're all a type of measuring device,
which often have an arm cuff attached to it.
The cuff is usually wrapped around your upper arm and filled with air
until it feels tight. This can feel uncomfortable but it only lasts a few
seconds.
It's important to relax and not talk during this time, because this is when
your blood pressure is measured.
If a healthcare professional is doing this for you, they may also use a
stethoscope to record your blood pressure.
An automatic device usually picks up the measurements from sensors in
the arm cuff, which are sent to a digital display.
You should get the results straight away.

Understanding your blood pressure reading

Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and is
given as 2 numbers:
• systolic pressure – the pressure when your heart pushes blood out
• diastolic pressure – the pressure when your heart rests between beats
The highest number is always the systolic pressure and it's always given
first. For example, a blood pressure given as "120 over 80" or
120/80mmHg means a systolic pressure of 120mmHg and a diastolic
pressure of 80mmHg.

12
As a general guide :
• Normal blood pressure is considered to be between 90/60mmHg and
120/80mmHg
• High blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or higher
• Low blood pressure is considered to be 90/60mmHg or lower

If your reading is between 120/80mmHg and 140/90mmHg, you may be

at risk of developing high blood pressure. There are things you can do to
help prevent high blood pressure.

Testing your blood pressure at home

Your GP may suggest 24-hour or ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
(ABPM) if they think you may have high blood pressure (hypertension).
ABPM tests your blood pressure regularly over 24 hours, by using a cuff
attached to a portable device that's worn on your waist.
You can continue with your daily activities during this time.
If you want to regularly check your blood pressure at home, you can buy
a machine.

Blood pressure devices for home use:

If you want to check your blood pressure regularly at home, you can buy
a digital blood pressure machine.
Choose a machine that measures your blood pressure at your upper arm,
not your wrist or finger.

13
Equipment
• cuff,
• Sphygmomanometer,
• Stethoscope|(Appropriate if recording using the manual method);
• Pillow to support the arm, if required

**************************

Summary
Arterial pressure is most commonly measured via a sphygmomanometer,
which historically used the height of a column of mercury to reflect the
circulating pressure. Blood pressure values are generally reported in
millimeters of mercury (mmHg), though aneroid and electronic devices
do not use mercury. For each heartbeat, blood pressure varies between
systolic and diastolic pressures. Systolic pressure is peak pressure in the
arteries, which occurs near the end of the cardiac cycle when the
ventricles are contracting. Diastolic pressure is minimum pressure in the
arteries, which occurs near the beginning of the cardiac cycle when the
ventricles are filled with blood. An example of normal measured values
for a resting, healthy adult human is 120 mmHg systolic and 80 mmHg
diastolic.

Hypertension refers to abnormally high arterial pressure, as opposed to

hypotension, when it is abnormally low. Along with body temperature,
respiratory rate, and pulse rate, blood pressure is one of the four main
vital signs routinely monitored by medical professionals and healthcare
providers.

14
Measuring pressure invasively by penetrating the arterial wall to take the
measurement is much less common and usually restricted to a hospital
setting. The noninvasive auscultatory and oscillometric measurements are
simpler and faster than invasive measurements, require less expertise,
have virtually no complications, are less unpleasant and painful for the
patient. However, noninvasive methods may yield somewhat lower
accuracy and small systematic differences in numerical results.
Noninvasive measurement methods are more commonly used for routine
examinations and monitoring.

**************************

15
 Reference

• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/low-blood-
pressure/symptoms-causes/syc-20355465
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/blood-pressure-test/
• https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/about.htm
• https://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-
pressure/guide/diastolic-and-systolic-blood-pressure-know-your-numbers
• Control of Blood Pressure | Boundless Anatomy and Physiology
(lumenlearning.com)
• High Blood Pressure | Hypertension | Medline Plus

16