What is "blood pressure"

n. 1 The pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of the artery and veins; it varies during the heartbeat cycle, and according to a person's age, health and physical condition. 2 The measurement of a person's blood pressure, expressed as systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure readings.

n. 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"

Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels. When used without further specification, "blood pressure" usually refers to the arterial pressure in the systemic circulation. Blood pressure is usually expressed in terms of the systolic (maximum) pressure over diastolic (minimum) pressure and is measured in millimeters of mercury ( mm Hg). It is one of the vital signs along with respiratory rate, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and body temperature. Normal resting systolic (diastolic) blood pressure in an adult is approximately 120 mm Hg (80 mm Hg), abbreviated "120/80 mm Hg".

Blood pressure varies depending on situation, activity, and disease states. It is regulated by the nervous and endocrine systems. Blood pressure that is low due to a disease state is called hypotension, and pressure that is consistently high is hypertension. Both have many causes which can range from mild to severe. Both may be of sudden onset or of long duration. Long term hypertension is a risk factor for many diseases, including heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. Long term hypertension is more common than long term hypotension in Western countries. Long term hypertension often goes undetected because of infrequent monitoring and the absence of symptoms.

Blood pressure may refer to:

• Blood pressure, sometimes referred to as arterial blood pressure, the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels
• Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure
• Blood Pressures, the fourth studio album by indie rock band The Kills
• Blood Pressure (film), a 2012 Canadian film

Blood Pressure is a 2012 Canadian film co-written, directed and produced by Sean Garrity. The film stars Michelle Giroux as a pharmacist who is unhappy with her life and marriage, who starts to receive letters from an anonymous admirer, asking her to undertake increasingly risky activities.