Pulse Pressure: The Other Blood Pressure
While blood pressure, in and of itself, is an extremely important indicator of medical problems and health, there are other forms of pressure that must be looked at in conjunction with blood pressure. If this is not done, then some problems that could be occurring may not be found in time for them to be treated. One such pressure that must be checked is known as pulse pressure. This is the change in blood pressure during a single contraction of the heart. A simple formula will help the pulse pressure of an individual to be found quickly and easily. Pulse pressure should be taken into account whenever there is a problem with blood pressure, because it could be an indicator to some very specific heart problems.
Now that you know how important a person’s pulse pressure is, it’s time to talk about just how to find out what a person’s pulse pressure measurement is. Formally, the pulse pressure is the systolic pressure minus the diastolic pressure. It can be calculated by the following formula: stroke volume divided by compliance. Stroke volume is the volume of blood pumped out of a ventricle with each beat of the heart, while compliance is the standard regulation of beats. The resting pulse pressure in the average person is 40 mmHg, though this could increase up to 100 mmHg when a healthy adult is exercising. Numbers out of this range are an indicator of a possible health problem and you should talk to your doctor about it as soon as possible in order to avoid any complications.
It is very rare to get a pulse pressure reading of less than 40 mmHg. Chances are, if you receive one that is significantly lower, than you’ve just done the calculations incorrectly. However, if the pulse pressure is genuinely low, it reflects a low stroke volume, which means your heart is not pumping out the amount of blood it is supposed to. This could be because of a very serious problem, such as congestive heart disorder or shock.
If your pulse pressure is more than 40 mmHg (usually reading anywhere between 60 and 80 mmHg), then there are a few reasons this may be. Usually, this is an indicator of stiffness of the arteries, a leak in the aortic valve, an extra path for the blood to travel from the arteries to the veins, hypothyroidism, or some combination of these. All in all, it should be discussed with your doctor if you find yourself to have a pulse pressure that is higher than the average. This, of course, is true when you have a lower pulse pressure than average as well.
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