Factors Affecting Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is effected by external and internal variables. Internal variables such as age, gender and heredity can not be changed. External variables such as exercise, reduced stress, and healthy diet can significantly improve blood pressure. Regular exercise can reduce blood pressure and help manage weight and stress. External factors gone unmanaged can cause hypertension that can lead to death.

In the average human, the heart beats sixty to seventy times per minute. Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood. Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of the body in vessels called arteries. The force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries is called blood pressure. Blood pressure is highest when when the heart beats, pumping blood. This is systolic blood pressure (SBP). When the heart is resting, between beats, it is at it’s lowest. This is diastolic blood pressure (DBP). SBP is always on top or first, and DBP is always on bottom or second. Blood pressure changes throughout the day, but it is lowest when a person sleeps and rises when they wake up and become active. High blood pressure is know as hypertension.

Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). A typical, healthy blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg and under. It is read “120 over 80”. Measurement is painless and taken with a simple test. A blood pressure cuff and stethescope are used to measure blood pressure. The blood pressure cuff, also called a sphygmomanometer, consists of a cuff with an inflatable bladder, a rubber hand bulb with a valve used to inflate and deflate the cuff, and a pressure gauge. First, the cuff is wrapped snugly around your upper arm. The cuff is then rapidly inflated until the pulse in the upper arm...

... middle of paper ...

...ngthening the heart. Because the heart is a muscle, a workout increases it’s use, making it stronger. A stronger heart has an easier time pumping blood through the body, helping blood pressure.Physical activity not only helps control blood pressure, but helps manage weight and stress. A sedentary lifestyle poses a huge risk factor for many cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and heart disease. Those who do not have regular physical activity have thirty to fifty percent increased risk of developing hypertension. All of these effects lead to a person’s blood pressure

being elevated.

In conclusion, ones blood pressure, to a degree, is determined by the individual. This is something that people actually have some control of. Choices made in the present can effect the future. Exercise is one simple lifestyle change that can improve quality of life for all.