Definition

1. Noun:
   • The force exerted by circulating blood on the walls of the body's arteries: It is a vital sign and a key indicator of cardiovascular health. Blood pressure is expressed as two numbers: systolic pressure (when the heart beats) over diastolic pressure (when the heart rests between beats).

Usage

• Blood pressure is typically measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg).
• It is a standard metric used in medical examinations to assess a person's circulatory health.
• High or low blood pressure can indicate underlying health conditions.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The nurse checked my blood pressure during the routine physical.
  • Regular exercise can help maintain healthy blood pressure.
  • His blood pressure reading was 118/76, which is excellent.

Advanced Usage

• "to have high/low blood pressure": to be diagnosed with a chronic condition where blood pressure is consistently above or below the normal range.
  • After the diagnosis, she started medication to manage her high blood pressure.
• "blood pressure reading/measurement": the specific numerical result obtained from measuring blood pressure.
  • The doctor analyzed the series of blood pressure readings from the home monitor.

Variants and Related Words

• Hypertension (n): The medical term for persistently high blood pressure.
  • Untreated hypertension increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Hypotension (n): The medical term for persistently low blood pressure.
  • Severe hypotension can cause dizziness and fainting.
• Sphygmomanometer (n): The device used to measure blood pressure.
  • The old-fashioned sphygmomanometer used a column of mercury.

Synonyms

• Arterial pressure: A more technical term for blood pressure, specifically referring to the pressure in the arteries.

Related Phrases

• "To take someone's blood pressure": to measure a person's blood pressure.
  • The paramedic quickly took the accident victim's blood pressure.
• "Blood pressure medication": drugs prescribed to control hypertension.
  • He takes his blood pressure medication every morning.

Noun

1. the pressure of the circulating blood against the walls of the blood vessels; results from the systole of the left ventricle of the heart; sometimes measured for a quick evaluation of a person's health
   • adult blood pressure is considered normal at 120/80 where the first number is the systolic pressure and the second is the diastolic pressure