Health Information

Blood pressure is the force in the arteries when the heart beats (systolic pressure) and when the heart is at rest (diastolic pressure). It's measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). High blood pressure (or hypertension) is defined in an adult as a blood pressure greater than or equal to 140 mmHg systolic pressure or greater than or equal to 90 mmHg diastolic pressure.

High blood pressure directly increases the risk of coronary heart disease (which leads to heart attack) and stroke, especially when it's present with other risk factors.

High blood pressure can occur in children or adults, but it's more common among people over age 35.

It's particularly prevalent in African Americans, middle-aged and elderly people, obese people, heavy drinkers and women taking birth control pills. It may run in families, but many people with a strong family history of high blood pressure never have it. People with diabetes mellitus, gout or kidney disease are more likely to have high blood pressure, too.

High blood pressure is sometimes called the silent killer because it usually has no warning signs or symptoms. Many people do not know that they have high blood pressure.
That’s why it's important to get your blood pressure checked regularly.

While the cause of high blood pressure in most people remains unclear, a variety of conditions - such as getting little or no exercise, poor diet, obesity, older age, and genetics - can lead to hypertension.

The blood pressure reading is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and is written as systolic pressure, the force of the blood against the artery walls as your heart beats, over diastolic pressure, the blood pressure between heartbeats. For example, a blood pressure reading is written as 120/80 mmHg, or 120 over 80. The systolic pressure is 120 and the diastolic pressure is 80.

"Normal" blood pressure is systolic pressure less than 120 and diastolic pressure less than 80 mmHg
"Prehypertension" is systolic pressure of120-139 or diastolic pressure of 80-89 mmHg
"Stage 1" Hypertension is blood pressure greater than systolic pressure of 140-159 or diastolic pressure of 90-99 mmHg or greater.
"Stage 2" Hypertension is systolic pressure of 160 or greater or diastolic pressure of 100 or greater.

Several potentially serious health conditions are linked to high blood pressure, including:
Atherosclerosis: a disease of the arteries caused by a build up of plaque, or fatty material, on the inside walls of the blood vessels. Hypertension contributes to this build up by putting added stress and force on the artery walls.
Heart Disease: heart failure (the heart can't adequately pump blood), ischemic heart disease (the heart tissue doesn't get enough blood), and hypertensive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart) are all associated with high blood pressure.
Kidney Disease:Hypertension can damage the blood vessels and filters in the kidneys, so that the kidneys cannot excrete waste properly.
Stroke: Hypertension can lead to stroke, either by contributing to the process of atherosclerosis (which can lead to blockages and/or clots), or by weakening the blood vessel wall and causing it to rupture.
Eye Disease: Hypertension can damage the very small blood vessels in the retina.

High blood pressure often doesn't have any symptoms, so you usually don't feel it.
For that reason, hypertension is usually diagnosed by a health care professional on a routine visit. This is especially important if you have a close relative who has hypertension or embody risk factors for it.

If your blood pressure is extremely high, you may have unusually strong headaches, chest pain, and heart failure (especially difficulty breathing and poor exercise tolerance). If you have any of these symptoms, seek treatment immediately.

Recommended blood pressure levels:
Optimal: <120 and <80
Normal: 120-129 or 80-84
High-normal: 130-139 or 85-89
Grade 1 Hypertension (mild): 140-159 or 90-99
Grade 2 Hypertension (moderate): 160-179 or 100-109
Grade 3 Hypertension: 180 or higher or 100 or higher

Your heart pumps blood through the body's arteries. The large arteries that leave your heart taper into smaller arteries called arterioles. The arterioles then taper into smaller vessels called capillaries, which supply oxygen and nutrients to all the organs of your body. The blood then returns to your heart through the veins.

Certain nerve impulses cause your arteries to dilate (become larger) or contract (become smaller). If these vessels are wide open, blood can flow through easily. If they're narrow, it's harder for the blood to flow through them, and the pressure inside them increases. Then high blood pressure may occur. When this happens, your heart becomes strained and blood vessels may become damaged. Changes in the vessels that supply blood to your kidneys and brain may cause these organs to be affected.

Your heart, brain and kidneys can handle increased pressure for a long time. That's why you can live for years without any symptoms or ill effects. But that doesn't mean it's not hurting you. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke, heart attack, heart failure and kidney failure.

High blood pressure adds to the workload of your heart and arteries. Your heart must pump harder, and the arteries carry blood that's moving under greater pressure.
If high blood pressure continues for a long time, your heart and arteries may not work as well as they should. Other body organs may also be affected. There is increased risk of stroke, congestive heart failure, kidney failure and heart attack. When high blood pressure exists with obesity,smoking,high blood cholesterol or diabetes, the risk of heart attack or stroke increases several times.

Within certain limits, the lower your blood pressure reading is, the better.
In most people, blood pressure isn't too low until it produces symptoms, such as light headedness or fainting.
In certain disease states, it's possible for blood pressure to be too low.
Examples include:
1.Certain nerve or endocrine disorders.
2.Prolonged bed rest.
3.Decreases in blood volume due to severe bleeding (hemorrhage) or dehydration.

Blood pressure less than 120/80 mmHg is generally considered ideal. Levels higher than this increase your risk for cardiovascular disease. If you have unusually low blood pressure, have it evaluated.

There are several things that you can do to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range:
1.Get your blood pressure checked regularly.
2.Eat a healthy diet.
3.Maintain a health weight.
4.Be physically active.
5.Limit alcohol use.
6.Don’t smoke.
7.Prevent or treat diabetes.

Both types give accurate and reliable results.
Upper arm monitors are used in a more traditional way and are ideal for home use, while wrist monitors are smaller and can be more practical to carry or for travelling.

Blood disorders, circulatory problems, and lung issues may negatively affect your blood oxygen saturation level, as they may prevent you from adequately absorbing or transporting oxygen. Examples of conditions that can affect your O2saturation level include:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Asthma.
Collapsed lung (pneumothorax).
Anemia.
Heart disease (In relate to BPM, ex: PARR function).
Pulmonary embolism.
Congenital heart defects.

The most common method of measuring oxygen saturation is pulse oximetry. It is an easy, painless, non-invasive method wherein a probe is placed on the fingertip or earlobe to measure the oxygen saturation indirectly.

Measurement of oxygen saturation is particularly important for patients with health conditions that can reduce the level of oxygen in the blood. These conditions include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pneumonia, lung cancer, anemia, heart failure, heart attack, and other cardiopulmonary disorders.
For adults, the normal range of SpO2is 95 – 100%. A value lower than 90% is considered low oxygen saturation, which requires external oxygen supplementation.

The most common symptoms of hypoxemia include headache, rapid heart rate, coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, confusion, and blueness of the skin and mucus membranes (cyanosis).
A drop in oxygen saturation below the critical level should be treated with oxygen supplementation. Depending on the severity of the condition, a physician can prescribe supplemental oxygen, which has the most direct effect on the oxygen saturation level. Under clinical use, technical mishaps such as circuit disconnection, airway dislodgement or obstruction, or inadequate oxygen administration were identified sooner and providers could respond before adverse events occurred.

Eating a healthy and balanced diet can also help improve blood oxygen saturation. Since iron deficiency is one of the major causes of low oxygen saturation,
eating foods that are rich in iron, such as meat, fish, kidney beans, lentils, and cashew nuts, can be helpful.

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high.
Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy. Sometimes your body doesn’t make enough - or any - insulin or doesn’t use insulin well.
Glucose then stays in your blood and doesn’t reach your cells.
Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause health problems. Although diabetes has no cure, you can take steps to manage your diabetes and stay healthy. Sometimes people call diabetes a touch of sugar or borderline diabetes. These terms suggest that someone doesn’t really have diabetes or has a less serious case, but every case of diabetes is serious.

Symptoms of diabetes include:

increased thirst and urination.

increased hunger.

fatigue.

blurred vision.

numbness or tingling in the feet or hands.

sores that do not heal.

unexplained weight loss.

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes can start quickly, in a matter of weeks.

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes often develop slowly - over the course of several years - and can be so mild that you might not even notice them. Many people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms. Some people do not find out they have the disease until they have diabetes-related health problems, such as blurred vision or heart trouble.

The most common types of diabetes are type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes - If you have type 1 diabetes, your body does not make insulin. Your immune system attacks and destroys the cells in your pancreas that make insulin. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, although it can appear at any age. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day to stay alive.

Type 2 diabetes - If you have type 2 diabetes, your body does not make or use insulin well. You can develop type 2 diabetes at any age, even during childhood. However, this type of diabetes occurs most often in middle-aged and older people. Type 2 is the most common type of diabetes.

Gestational diabetes - Gestational diabetes develops in some women when they are pregnant. Most of the time, this type of diabetes goes away after the baby is born. However, if you’ve had gestational diabetes, you have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Sometimes diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy is actually type 2 diabetes.

Other types of diabetes - Less common types include monogenic diabetes, which is an inherited form of diabetes, and cystic fibrosis-related diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when your immune system, the body’s system for fighting infection, attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas.

Scientists think type 1 diabetes is caused by genes and environmental factors, such as viruses, that might trigger the disease.

Studies such as TrialNet are working to pinpoint causes of type 1 diabetes and possible ways to prevent or slow the disease.

Type 2 diabetes - the most common form of diabetes - is caused by several factors, including lifestyle factors and genes.

Overweight, obesity, and physical inactivity - You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you are not physically active and are overweight or obese. Extra weight sometimes causes insulin resistance and is common in people with type 2 diabetes. The location of body fat also makes a difference. Extra belly fat is linked to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and heart and blood vessel disease. To see if your weight puts you at risk for type 2 diabetes, check out these Body Mass Index (BMI) charts.

Insulin resistance - Type 2 diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance, a condition in which muscle, liver, and fat cells do not use insulin well. As a result, your body needs more insulin to help glucose enter cells. At first, the pancreas makes more insulin to keep up with the added demand. Over time, the pancreas can’t make enough insulin, and blood glucose levels rise.

You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you are age 45 or older, have a family history of diabetes, or are overweight.

Physical inactivity, race, and certain health problems such as high blood pressure also affect your chance of developing type 2 diabetes.

You are also more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you have prediabetes or had gestational diabetes when you were pregnant. Learn more about risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

Over time, high blood glucose leads to problems such as:

heart disease.

stroke.

kidney disease.

eye problems.

dental disease.

nerve damage.

foot problems.