How is Blood Pressure measured and denoted?
It is usually measured with a blood pressure cuff placed around the arm, which registers the pressure in units called millimeters of Mercury. Blood pressure or BP is denoted by two numbers separated by aslash (/) for example, a reading of 120/80 would mean that 120 millimeters of mercury is the systolic pressure and 80 millimeters of mercury is the diastolic pressure. Systolic blood pressure, the top number, represents the pressure in our arteries as the heart contracts and ejects blood into the circulation. Diastolic pressure, the bottom number, occurs as the heart relaxes following a contraction. It represents the minimum pressure to which the arteries are exposed. How high is a High Blood Pressure ? Strictly speaking no single reading of blood pressure has been identified as to mean hypertension, but it is generally accepted that a value of 140/90 or more taken on at least two separate occasions, indicates a high blood pressure. This is the level above which there is a significantly
