What Do Blood Pressure Numbers Signify?
Having your blood pressure taken actually measures the pressure that the blood exerts on the walls of your arteries when your heart beats. Blood pressure is represented as a fraction. The top number, or numerator, is called the systolic blood pressure and measures the pressure within the walls of the arteries when the heart is contracted during a beat. The lower number, or denominator, is called the diastolic pressure and it measures the pressure exerted within the walls of the arteries when the heart is relaxed. A normal blood pressure value should not be higher than 120/80. The systolic number is always higher than the diastolic number. The blood pressure values can change throughout the day and increase with stress, excitation, or exercise but for the norm the average resting blood pressure should remain no higher than 120/80. If you have a strong family history of high blood pressure, chances are that you may at some point develop high blood pressure. How Can I Prevent High Blood P
