When they take your blood pressure, they say "you are ____ over ____. OK why is that important?

Question

Answer in general and then please be specific: is diastolic pressure more important than systolic pressure? What is the relationship between the two?

Answer 1

OK in general the average adult bp should be between 100-140 systolic and 60-90 diastolic. However, blood pressure can also vary due to size and family history. Some people are naturally hypotensive (low bp) and some are naturally hypertensive (high bp) both can cause problems but hypertension is generally of more concern and more dangerous as a normal bp for a person. Many people who are hypotensive live normal lives with very little concern. The systolic pressure is a measure of pressure during contraction of the heart's cycle, diastolic pressure is a measure of pressure during relaxation of the heart's cycle. Both are actually very important but it is possible to get a bp reading using only the systolic (this is done when the bp is not auscultated, "listened to"; instead it is palpated, "felt for" like when taking a pulse) palpated readings are less accurate.
Adequate bp is necessary to maintain proper circulation and and perfusion (the passage of fluid through the vessels of organs). A decrease in bp may indicate loss of blood, loss of vascular tone, or a cardiac pumping problem (heart is not working right). When bp drops, the body compensates to maintain perfusion to vital organs by decreasing the blood flow to the skin and extremities (hands, feet, arms, legs) . I hope this answers your question

Answer 2

The systolic number (top) is the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart is pumping. The diastolic number (bottom) is the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart is at rest, between beats.

The higher the pressure the harder your heart is working to pump blood. It is worse for the diastolic number to be high.

Your blood pressure changes minute to minute and according to circumstances. One high reading does not mean you have high blood pressure. You need a series of readings over a period of different times during a day and during the week, then take an average. If you average more than 120/80 you should see a doctor.

Answer 3

When they say 120 over 80 that is the systolic blood pressure over the diastolic blood pressure. The systolic blodd pressure is the pressure on the inside of the arterial wall while the heart is contracting (think of stepping on a tomato), when the heart contracts it pushes the blood out of the heart. Your diastolic blodd pressure is the pressure on the arterial wall while the heart muscle is relaxed and the heartis filling with blood.

Blood Pressure is measured in milimetres of mercury mmHg. So when they say your BP is 120/80 it is really saying 120mmHg over 80mmHg. It is important to know you BP number because if it too high for long periods of time, it will eventually contribute to disease like CAD coronary artery disease, heart attack and stroke. It contributes to these debilitating diseases by a number of different routes which include things like making the arteries less eleastic (and less able to adapt to stress), and by making the arteries more susceptible to damage which is a pre-cursor to clot formation in the brain and coronary arteries that will could cause a heart attack or stroke.

Answer 4

the distolic is the blood pumping through you into your heart and systolic is blood pumping out after going through your heart .