Question

What is hypertension? What do the systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings represent?

Answer 1

Hypertension in medical knowledge refers high blood pressure. When blood pressure reading of a person is more than 140/90 mmHg in consecutive number of days or weeks. Such condition is known as hypertension.

Systolic blood pressure: when heart contracts blood is pushed through the arteries to the rest of the body and pressure is created in the arteries, which is called systolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure reading is top number which 120mmHg in normal person and above 140 mmHg is hypertension. So systolic blood pressure reading represents pressure in arteries when heart beats.

Diastolic blood pressure: The bottom number refers diastolic pressure which is 80 mm Hg in normal person and above 90 mm Hg is hypertension. So diastolic blood pressure reading represents pressure in arteries when heart rests between beats.