What is blood pressure?

Understanding Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is a vital physiological measurement that plays a crucial role in maintaining our overall health and well-being. It’s important to comprehend what blood pressure is, how it is measured, and why it matters for our health.

What is Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure refers to the force of blood pushing against the walls of our arteries as the heart pumps it through our circulatory system. This force is essential for the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to our body’s tissues and organs. Blood pressure is typically expressed as two numbers, such as 120/80 mm Hg.

Systolic Blood Pressure

The top number, known as systolic blood pressure, represents the pressure in your arteries when your heart contracts or beats. It’s the highest pressure in the cardiac cycle.

Diastolic Blood Pressure

The bottom number, diastolic blood pressure, signifies the pressure in your arteries when your heart is at rest between beats. It’s the lowest pressure in the cardiac cycle.

Why is Blood Pressure Important?

Maintaining a healthy blood pressure is crucial because high or low blood pressure can lead to various health problems:

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Hypertension is a condition where the force of blood against artery walls is consistently too high. It can damage blood vessels, the heart, and other organs, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other serious health issues.

Hypotension (Low Blood Pressure)

Hypotension, on the other hand, is when blood pressure is too low. It can cause dizziness, fainting, and inadequate blood flow to vital organs, leading to various health complications.

Cardiovascular Health

Maintaining optimal blood pressure is essential for good cardiovascular health. High blood pressure can strain the heart and arteries, increasing the risk of heart disease, while low blood pressure may not provide adequate oxygen and nutrients to the body’s tissues.

Measuring Blood Pressure

Typically, blood pressure is measured using a sphygmomanometer, an instrument that includes an inflatable cuff and a pressure gauge. The process involves wrapping the cuff around the upper arm and inflating it to temporarily stop blood flow. The healthcare provider then records the systolic and diastolic pressure in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).

Understanding blood pressure and its significance is crucial for maintaining good health. Regular check-ups and a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet and regular exercise, can help keep your blood pressure within a healthy range.

Understanding Blood Pressure

Animation to help patients understand what high blood pressure and high cholesterol means, how they are caused and how they increase the risk of developing heart and circulatory disease.

A new injection for high blood pressure

A new injection that could reduce blood pressure for up to six months at a time is being trialled in the UK. Scientists hope it could replace daily medication for people with hypertension.

Scientists have discovered a new potential treatment for hypertension that could last for six months at a time.

A new injection that could reduce blood pressure for up to six months is being trialled in the UK.

Zilebesiran, the world’s first injection to control blood pressure could replace daily medication for hypertension.

The jab, produced by US-based Alnylan Pharmaceuticals, is designed to be given once every six months. It works by preventing the liver from producing angiotensin, which is a hormone that narrows blood vessels and causes blood pressure to rise.

To show its effectiveness, researchers at Queen Mary University of London recruited more than 100 patients with high blood pressure and gave 80 of them an injection of Zilebesiran. The remaining participants received a placebo.

Early data shows that the participants who were given Zilebesiran experienced a significant drop in systolic blood pressure that lasted up to six months. This drop, the researchers have shown, was consistent over a 24-hour period.

Professor David Webb, who led the trial in Edinburgh, called this a “potentially major development in hypertension,” and said, “there hasn’t been a new class of drug licensed for the treatment of high blood pressure in the last 17 years.”

Phil Pyatt CEO of Blood Pressure UK said: “This is encouraging news for people taking medication for hypertension, who, for whatever reason, find it challenging to comply with their doctor’s instructions to take it every day.”

More information on this website: https://www.bloodpressureuk.org/about-us/what-we-do/our-policies/using-this-website

High blood pressure and how to lower it

Introducing high blood pressure – A5 booklet
This booklet introduces what high blood pressure is, how you can lower it with lifestyle changes and treatments, and measuring your own blood pressure at home.

Introducing high blood pressure – Pressure Points [PDF 253KB]

Order a printed copy.

This booklet is available in 32 languages. See our translated information.