Blood Pressure
Description of Blood Pressure:
Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure (force per unit area) exerted by
circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels, and constitutes one of the
principal vital signs. The pressure of the circulating blood decreases as it
moves away from the heart through arteries and capillaries, and toward the heart
through veins. When unqualified, the term blood pressure usually refers to
brachial arterial pressure: that is, in the major blood vessel of the upper left
or right arm that takes blood away from the heart. Blood pressure may, however,
sometimes be measured at other sites in the body, for instance at the ankle. The
ratio of the the blood pressure measured in the main artery at the ankle to the
brachial blood pressure gives the Ankle Brachial Pressure Index (ABPI).
Specific Blood Pressure Information
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