Blood Pressure Flashcards
Systolic
the pressure in he arteries while the heart contracts
Diastolic
is the pressure when the heart is relaxing and refilling with blood (between beats)
What is blood pressure
How much force is exterted by the blood on the walls of the arteries as the blood is pumped
What are the factors affecting BP
amount of blood, size of vessels, elasticity, viscosity of blood
How does the amount of blood affect BP
if blood is increased the pressure is high (a lot of blood going through the vessels)
How does the size of the vessels affect BP
larger artery means it can hold more blood and have less pressure
How does the elasticity of the vessels affect BP
If the arteris can’t expand with each surge of blood + relax, pressure increases (atheroselerosis)
How does the viscosity of blood affect BP
thicker blood = increased pressure bc it doesn’t flow easily (bc of dehydration)
small artery = ?
high pressure
