Understanding Blood Pressure What is blood pressure? The heart provides the force to pump the blood through the arteries to deliver oxygen and vital substances to the muscles and organs. The more resistance there is against this pumping action the harder the heart has to work. Imagine watering the garden through a hose with a small nozzle – the pressure at the tap and in the hose will be high. When the heart is contracting and forcing the blood into the body it is known as systolic pressure. Diastolic pressure is the pressure when the heart relaxes between contractions. Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury eg 120mmHg (systolic) / 70mmHg (diastolic). Ideally your blood pressure should be under 140/ 85 but if you have coronary heart disease, diabetes or have had a stroke your blood pressure should be 130/80.
What is high blood pressure?
What can be done to reduce blood pressure?
It is perfectly normal for systolic blood pressure to change during the day. This may be due to excitement, anxiety, coffee, smoking, exercise etc. However high blood pressure (hypertension) means that the blood pressure remains higher than is recommended and in the long term may cause damage to the vital organs such as:
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Heart
– the heart becomes large and beats less effectively - the coronary arteries become damaged and this could lead to a heart attack
Brain
– the arteries in the brain may become damaged and this may result in a stroke
Kidney - blood vessels in the kidneys may become damaged which may stop the kidneys getting ride of extra waste and fluid from the body. The extra fluid may further then raise the blood pressure leading to kidney failure. Eyes
- blood vessels in the eye may become damaged leading to hypertensive retinopathy which may affect the eye sight
People with high blood pressure may feel well as high blood pressure has no symptoms and can only be diagnosed by having their blood pressure taken
Increase physical activity Keep your weight down Reducing salt in your diet Cutting down on alcohol Eating a balanced diet
How may exercise and physical activity reduce blood pressure? The heart is a muscle and like any muscle it will become stronger and more efficient with exercise. This means the heart will pump the blood into the body with less effort. Another positive benefit of exercise is when muscles work they need a greater blood supply. The body responds to this demand by growing more capillaries, the end of the arteries. Due to an increase in capilleries there is less résistance to the heart pumping the blood around the body, so lowering blood pressure Taking regular exercise is a positive step to improving your blood pressure. The Nexus health and fitness instructor will be able provide you with the appropriate exercise prescription to help to lower and improve your blood pressure. If you would like more information please contact Lesley Simpson our Health Promotions Manager at lesley.simpson@nexuscommunity.org Or for more information please visit www.bhf.org.uk
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