What Is the Formula for Calculating Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is the pressure of circulating blood against the blood vessel walls. This measurement, which is usually taken using a stethoscope, pressure gauge and inflatable cuff wrapped around an arm, provides a quick indicator of a person’s health. Blood pressure cuffs must be properly applied and inflated for blood pressure readings to be accurate. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury–written as mmHg–because, historically, blood pressure calculations were made using a column of mercury displaced by pressure generated by the heartbeat and measured in millimeters. Today, digital blood pressure machines are capable of accurately calculating blood pressure automatically.
