1. Blood Pressure Basics

2. Overview of Circulatory System: Arteries + Veins and Everything in Between
Function of Circulatory System: To carry nutrients and hormones to tissues and wastes products away from tissues.

3. Path of Blood Flow

4. What is blood pressure?
The pressure that your blood exerts against your arteries as it is pumped through your body by the heart
The pressure in the arteries increases when the heart beats and decreases while it is resting

5. Measuring Blood Pressure
The Sphygmomanometer
The Sphygmomanometer is also called a Blood Pressure Cuff
Pump
Inflates the cuff to stop blood flow
Dial
Used to read blood pressure
Valve
Lets air out of the cuff, allowing it to deflate
Cuff
Used to temporarily stop blood flow

6. Measuring Blood Pressure
The Stethoscope
A stethoscope allows you to hear your heart beat and your blood flow
When used with a sphygmomanometer, you can hear the blood flow through your brachial artery, allowing you to measure your blood pressure

7. Measuring Blood Pressure
Procedure
Sit comfortably with arm supported at heart level
Snugly wrap the sphygmomanometer cuff around the upper arm, one inch above the elbow
Place the stethoscope just above the crease of the elbow
Pump the cuff to around mmHg
While listening with the stethoscope, slowly open the valve to let the pressure fall
When you first hear the beat of the blood flow, that is the systolic pressure
When you last hear the beat of the blood flow, that is the diastolic pressure

8. Reading Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is measured in mmHg, and given as a fraction
120 80
Systolic Pressure Pressure in the arteries while the heart beats
Diastolic Pressure Pressure in the arteries while the heart rests

9. Systolic vs Diastolic
Blood pressure is measured in mmHg (millimeters of mercury) and given as a fraction:
systolic pressure / diastolic pressure
The systolic pressure measures the force generated on the arterial walls by the contraction of the ventricles (left ventricle is what is actually being measured). Diastolic pressure measures the time after the ventricles contract and the chambers of the heart are refilling with blood. For most adults, systolic pressure is considered normal when measured below 120, with being considered pre-hypertensive and above 140 being considered hypertensive. A diastolic pressure of less than 80 is considered healthy.

10. Variations in Blood Pressure
Abnormally high blood pressure is called hypertension
Any blood pressure reading greater than is considered high.
Hypertension is usually asymptomatic .
Abnormally low blood pressure is called hypotension
There is not a specific blood pressure value that is considered ‘low.’
Symptoms define whether blood pressure is too low:
Dizziness
Blurred vision
Nausea
Fatigue

11. Hypertension Caused by both hereditary and behavioral factors
Diabetes
High-sodium diets
Smoking
Age
Genetic factors
There are usually no symptoms of high blood pressure, but the consequences of untreated hypertension can be severe:
Heart disease
Heart failure
Kidney failure
General heart/artery damage

12. High blood pressure, 2014 (Canada)
In 2014, 17.7% of Canadians aged 12 and older (5.3 million people) reported being diagnosed with high blood pressure. This was not a significant change from 2013, though it has been increasing since 2001 when it was 12.6%.
From 2001 to 2009, females were more likely than males to report that they had been diagnosed with high blood pressure. However, since 2013, the rate of high blood pressure has been higher for males than females. Between 2010 and 2012, there was no difference between the sexes (Chart 1).

13. High blood pressure, 2014 (Canada)

14. Hypertension (High Heart Rate)
30% of people over 50
Damages arteries
Causes heart failure, vascular disease, renal failure, stroke, and blindness.
Enlargement filled by hypertrophy of the myocardium
Contributing factors:
Diet (sodium, saturated fat, cholesterol)
Obesity
Age
Race
Heredity
Stress
Smoking—nicotine is a vasoconstrictor.

15. Treatment
Weight loss: If your child is overweight, your doctor might recommend and monitor an ongoing weight-loss program
Dietary changes: The doctor might recommend that your child's diet include more vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy products, and fiber-rich foods, and fewer carbohydrates, fats, processed foods, and drinks with lots of sugar. The doctor also might recommend preparing low-sodium dishes and not adding salt to foods. Watch out for foods with lots of hidden salt (like bread, sandwiches, pizza, and many restaurant and fast food options).
Quit smoking
Medication (Beta blockers, diuretics, Vaso dilators, Angiotensin blockers, and many more)
Reducing stress
No Alcohol

16. Atherosclerosis (Build Up in the Arteries)
Damage to the tunica interna
Viral
Bacterial
Hypertension
Reinjury
Inflammation
LDLs—”bad cholesterol”
Foam cells
Fatty streak stage
Arteriosclerosis
Hypertension
Stroke
Heart attack
Coronary bypass
Angioplasty
tPA—tissue plasminogen activator
Clot buster
HDL—removes cholesterol from vessel walls.

17. Arteriosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis is the thickening, hardening and loss of elasticity of the walls of arteries.
is a sclerosis that only affects small arteries and arterioles, which carry important nutrients and blood to the cells.
signs/symptoms of arteriosclerosis are: sudden weakness, facial or lower limbs numbness, confusion, difficulty understanding speech and problems seeing.