Prodiver
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Blood Pressure
Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels, and is one of the principal vital signs monitored to assess health.
It is conventionally the pressure measured in the brachial artery of the upper arm at about heart height while sitting and relaxed.
Physical work, exercise, surprise and stress all naturally increase a person's BP.
Temporary increases in BP are essential for the body to function optimally and are beneficial in the short and long term for cardiovascular health.
The quickness with which a person's BP reverts to normal after strenuous exercise is an accepted measure of cardiovascular and overall fitness.
Chronically raised BP - hypertension - is an indicator of conditions and diseases such as cardiovascular disease, and a risk factor for stroke, heart attack, heart failure and arterial aneurysms. It is the leading cause of chronic renal failure.
Even moderate elevation of arterial pressure leads to shortened life expectancy. At severely high pressures, mean arterial pressures 50% or more above average, a person can expect to live no more than a few years unless appropriately treated.
AAS, prescription medicines and some supplements used by bodybuilders are known to increase their average BP to a greater or lesser extent.
In otherwise healthy bodybuilders average BP will revert to normal soon after all drugs and supplements are cleared from the body.
Bodybuilders should monitor their BP regularly to assess their health and to allow prompt preventive therapy if necessary.
Measurement
BP is traditionally measured using a sphygmomanometer ("sphyg", "sphygmo"), consisting of an inflatable cuff and a pressure gauge.
The inflated cuff temporarily stops the blood flow by pressing on the brachial artery.
The pressures at which the flow stops, and at which it is again completely unobstructed are ascertained by listening to the turbulent flow in the artery in the elbow with a stethoscope, and are read on the gauge.
The point at which the flow stops, the systolic, is equal to the peak BP.
The point at which the flow is again just completely unobstructed, the diastolic, is equal to the minimum BP.
The pressures are universally measured in millimetres of mercury - mm Hg - and expressed as systolic over disatolic, eg. 120/70.
Traditionally a mercury manometer was used to measure the pressures. This gives absolute readings and never requires calibration.
However, toxic mercury is tightly restricted today, and conventional dial pressure gauges are used which are very reliable if not handled roughly but which need occasional calibration.
Increasingly, electronic BP monitors are used in hospitals, GP's surgeries and at home, being convenient to use and costing no more than a quality gauge sphyg. Some models can store sets of readings, show graphs, connect with PCs, etc.
Electronic BP meters use silicon-chip pressure sensors and statistical algorithms to determine BP and usually also show pulse rate. They are very reliable but require occasional calibration.
Electronic meters with normal brachial cuffs are apparently more accurate than most wrist-band types.
A new wrist BP meter has been announced which calculates the BP in the aorta, giving a very accurate measure of cardiovascular health.
A typical good quality meter, supplied with an easy-to-self-fit preformed cuff large enough for bodybuilders, is the Omron M6 Comfort:
BP should be taken seated after a few minutes relaxation, with the upper arm substantially down beside the ribs and the lower arm comfortably supported horizontally.
BP should ideally be taken several times a week, or a day when on AAS, at the same time to build up a representative picture of BP variations.
Assessment
Age, gender, digestion, sleep and the time of day all affect average BP. As adults age, systolic pressure tends to rise and diastolic to fall.
An average BP can be calculated for any given population, but there are often large variations in typical BP from person to person.
The following are the American Heart Association's categories for adults:
Category systolic diastolic
Normal < 120 < 80
Prehypertension 120 – 139 or 80 – 89
Stage 1 Hypertension 140 – 159 or 90 – 99
Stage 2 Hypertension 160 - 179 or 100 - 109
Hypertensive Crisis ≥ 180 or ≥ 110
In the UK, hypertension is considered when a patient's reading is above 140/90 mmHg.
The risk of cardiovascular disease increases progressively above 115/75*mmHg.
To be continued...
Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels, and is one of the principal vital signs monitored to assess health.
It is conventionally the pressure measured in the brachial artery of the upper arm at about heart height while sitting and relaxed.
Physical work, exercise, surprise and stress all naturally increase a person's BP.
Temporary increases in BP are essential for the body to function optimally and are beneficial in the short and long term for cardiovascular health.
The quickness with which a person's BP reverts to normal after strenuous exercise is an accepted measure of cardiovascular and overall fitness.
Chronically raised BP - hypertension - is an indicator of conditions and diseases such as cardiovascular disease, and a risk factor for stroke, heart attack, heart failure and arterial aneurysms. It is the leading cause of chronic renal failure.
Even moderate elevation of arterial pressure leads to shortened life expectancy. At severely high pressures, mean arterial pressures 50% or more above average, a person can expect to live no more than a few years unless appropriately treated.
AAS, prescription medicines and some supplements used by bodybuilders are known to increase their average BP to a greater or lesser extent.
In otherwise healthy bodybuilders average BP will revert to normal soon after all drugs and supplements are cleared from the body.
Bodybuilders should monitor their BP regularly to assess their health and to allow prompt preventive therapy if necessary.
Measurement
BP is traditionally measured using a sphygmomanometer ("sphyg", "sphygmo"), consisting of an inflatable cuff and a pressure gauge.
The inflated cuff temporarily stops the blood flow by pressing on the brachial artery.
The pressures at which the flow stops, and at which it is again completely unobstructed are ascertained by listening to the turbulent flow in the artery in the elbow with a stethoscope, and are read on the gauge.
The point at which the flow stops, the systolic, is equal to the peak BP.
The point at which the flow is again just completely unobstructed, the diastolic, is equal to the minimum BP.
The pressures are universally measured in millimetres of mercury - mm Hg - and expressed as systolic over disatolic, eg. 120/70.
Traditionally a mercury manometer was used to measure the pressures. This gives absolute readings and never requires calibration.
However, toxic mercury is tightly restricted today, and conventional dial pressure gauges are used which are very reliable if not handled roughly but which need occasional calibration.
Increasingly, electronic BP monitors are used in hospitals, GP's surgeries and at home, being convenient to use and costing no more than a quality gauge sphyg. Some models can store sets of readings, show graphs, connect with PCs, etc.
Electronic BP meters use silicon-chip pressure sensors and statistical algorithms to determine BP and usually also show pulse rate. They are very reliable but require occasional calibration.
Electronic meters with normal brachial cuffs are apparently more accurate than most wrist-band types.
A new wrist BP meter has been announced which calculates the BP in the aorta, giving a very accurate measure of cardiovascular health.
A typical good quality meter, supplied with an easy-to-self-fit preformed cuff large enough for bodybuilders, is the Omron M6 Comfort:
BP should be taken seated after a few minutes relaxation, with the upper arm substantially down beside the ribs and the lower arm comfortably supported horizontally.
BP should ideally be taken several times a week, or a day when on AAS, at the same time to build up a representative picture of BP variations.
Assessment
Age, gender, digestion, sleep and the time of day all affect average BP. As adults age, systolic pressure tends to rise and diastolic to fall.
An average BP can be calculated for any given population, but there are often large variations in typical BP from person to person.
The following are the American Heart Association's categories for adults:
Category systolic diastolic
Normal < 120 < 80
Prehypertension 120 – 139 or 80 – 89
Stage 1 Hypertension 140 – 159 or 90 – 99
Stage 2 Hypertension 160 - 179 or 100 - 109
Hypertensive Crisis ≥ 180 or ≥ 110
In the UK, hypertension is considered when a patient's reading is above 140/90 mmHg.
The risk of cardiovascular disease increases progressively above 115/75*mmHg.
To be continued...
.