GENERAL BLOOD PRESSURE
INFORMATION
What is Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is the pressure that is exerted by blood flowing against the walls of the blood vessels throughout your body.
Your heart, which is the center of the circulatory system, provides the force for the blood to flow or circulate. When your heart contracts or beats, the blood is forced through the blood vessels increasing the pressure. This is the highest pressure in the cycle or what is referred to as SYSTOLIC blood pressure. In between beats, your heart relaxes and your blood pressure decreases. This is referred to as DIASTOLIC blood pressure.
This complete series of events, which occurs in a single heartbeat, is known as the CARDIAC CYCLE.
Your Wrist Monitor will automatically read your blood pressure and display both systolic and diastolic readings on the screen.
Your systolic will be positioned as the upper number and the diastolic reading will be the lower number.
(systolic)
120
80
(diastolic)
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters (mm) of mercury (Hg) and is generally recorded with the systolic pressure (120) listed first and the diastolic pressure (80) listed second. The numbers are typically separated by a slash mark (/) as shown above.
Both pressure readings, the SYSTOLIC and DIASTOLIC, are necessary for a physician to evaluate the status of a patient’s blood pressure.
Please contact your physician for specific information regarding your own blood pressure.
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