Some oral contraceptives (“the pill”) increase blood pressure in a small proportion of women. For this reason, measurements of blood pressure I should be made at regular intervals. Although some contraceptive tablets have little influence on pressure, it is usually preferable for patients with high blood pressure to practise other methods of birth control. Advice … Read more
In over nine patients out of ten with high blood pressure no underlying disease can be found. The term “essential hypertension” is sometimes used in this case. This absence of a cause is not as surprising as might appear at first sight. Blood pressure, like height or weight, is the result of many influences. Just … Read more
For a young person a typical reading might be 120 systolic and 80 diastolic. These values are expressed in millimetres of mercury and it is conventional to record the values as systolic/diastolic e.g, 120/80. Blood pressure in an individual is not a fixed property but varies from minute to are asleep at night and may … Read more
Pressures are usually measured with an instrument called a sphygmomanometer. A cuff containing a rubber balloon is placed around the upper arm and inflated to a pressure above the systolic so that no blood can get through. Pressure in the cuff is then slowly released while an observer listens over the artery at the elbow … Read more
The heart is not a continuous pump. It beats and then relaxes. Each heart-beat produces a pressure wave. The peak or maximum of this wave is I called the systolic pressure and the trough or lowest point between beats is the diastolic pressure. The height of the systolic pressure is partly due to the amount … Read more
The term “blood pressure” is applied to the pressure of blood in the arteries, which conduct blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The circulation requires pressure to maintain the flow of blood. Post Views: 131
High blood pressure (or “hypertension” as it is called by doctors) is a common condition which affects between one in five and one in ten of the population, particularly in middle age. The rest of the population has a normal blood pressure. Post Views: 95
This chapter, written by the British Hypertension Society, aims to present the basic facts about one of the most common disorders of Western Society. High blood pressure is a puzzling condition for many as it only rarely makes people feel ill. Quite reasonably, therefore, patients in apparently good health ask why they should take tablets, … Read more
Food should be fun a booklet available from the British Heart Foundation. The Light-Hearted Cookbook by Anne Lindsay (Grub Street in association with the British Heart Foundation £9.95) available from most good book shops or from BHF’s mail order catalogue at Heart Cards Ltd, FREEPOST, PO Box 45, Burton upon Trent, Staffs DE14 1BR. The … Read more
Patients with High Blood Cholesterol For most people the level of blood cholesterol is the result of both diet and lifestyle. If the level is high then it is particularly important to maintain ideal weight, take regular exercise, eat a diet which is low in fat (particularly saturated fat) and not to smoke. A further … Read more