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Blood pressure is a two-number measurement of your heart's function. The top number is the systolic pressure, or the pressure of the blood within the vessels as your heart contracts. The bottom, or diastolic, number is the pressure of blood between the heartbeats, or when your heart rests and refills.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute sets the target range at less than 120/80.

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14y ago
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16y ago

Not sure what the actual name of it is, but it measures the pressure your blood is at when your heart isn't actually pumping. The pressure between each pump. Blood Pressure Measurement In The Doctor's Office Here are the steps your health care provider should follow when taking your blood pressure measurement: * Your health care provider will probably use a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope to measure your blood pressure. The blood pressure cuff, also called a sphygmomanometer, consists of a cuff with an inflatable bladder, a rubber hand bulb with a valve used to inflate and deflate the cuff, and a pressure gauge. * First, the cuff is wrapped snugly around your upper arm. The cuff is then rapidly inflated until the pulse in the upper arm is no longer felt. At this point blood flow in the underlying blood vesselis cut off by pressure in the cuff. The health care provider will continue to inflate the cuff a bit beyond this point. * Next, a stethoscope is placed over the brachial artery at the elbow and the cuff is slowly deflated, while the health care provider listens for sounds produced by turbulent blood flow in the artery. * The health care provider listens through the stethoscope until he or she hears the heartbeats. At this point, cuff pressure matches pressure in the artery, and blood flow resumes. This is the systolic blood pressure (SBP). * The health care provider continues to slowly deflate the cuff until the sounds stop. This is the diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Experts recommend that two or more readings (separated by two minutes) be taken to determine an average blood pressure for the visit. If the first two readings differ by more than 5 mm Hg, additional readings should be obtained and averaged. Your doctor should tell you if your blood pressure should be measured again and/or if you should consider treatment for high blood pressure. == ==

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15y ago

The bottom number represents the diastolic blood pressure reading, and is usually written as a fraction (for example: 120/80 or 120 over 80).

120 represents systolic blood pressure (this top number is always higher than the lower number).

80 represents diastoloc blood pressure (this is always the lowest number).

Systolic: Occurs when the heart contracts.

Diastolic: Occurs when the heart relaxes (the stage of rest where the heart refills with blood).

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14y ago

the pressure in the heart during diastole (when it is not beating)

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Q: What does the bottom number mean on your blood pressure?
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Related questions

When the bottom number is high does that mean that the heart is beating to fast?

I take it you mean on your blood pressure readings? The bottom number is the pressure the blood is returning to the heart.


What does the bottom number mean in blood pressure?

The Diastolic Pressure, is the lowest pressure in an artery in the moments between beats when the heart is resting. http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/examinations/measuringbloodpressure.htm


What do blood pressure readings mean?

The top number in the blood pressure fraction is the Systolic pressure, or the amount of pressure put on the walls of the arteries during the contraction and ejection of blood from the left ventricle. The bottom number is called the Diastolic Pressure and it means the lowest pressure in an artery in the moments between beats when your heart is resting.


Explain the readings for systolic and diastolic pressure that is what is actually happening?

What does the BP numbers mean? The number on the top is the systolic blood pressure and the number on the bottom is the diastolic blood pressure. The systolic BP is the pressure in the arteries right when the blood is pumped out of the heart, therefore the pressure is bigger. The diastolic BP is the pressure in the arteries after the blood has been pumped out and before the next heart contraction. At this moment, the heart is relaxed and the pressure is much lower.


What is the systolic and diastolic?

Systole is the top number of a blood pressure reading. It is the heart contracting forcing blood out. Indicated by the first heart sound. Diastole is the bottom number of a blood pressure reading. It is the heart relaxing bringing blood back in.


What does the bottom reading on the blood pressure mean?

Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels. The top number (systolic) is the pressure during a heartbeat. The bottom number (diastolic) is the presurre between heatbeats or at rest --R Jackson LPN


What does the systolic readings mean?

The blood pressure when the heart is contracting. It is specifically the maximum arterial pressure during contraction of the left ventricle of the heart. The time at which ventricular contraction occurs is called systole. In a blood pressure reading, the systolic pressure is typically the first number recorded. For example, with a blood pressure of 120/80 ("120 over 80"), the systolic pressure is 120. By "120" is meant 120 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury).


What is blood pressure 148 over 83 mean?

The first number is your systolic pressure, which is the pressure when your heart is contracting and pumping blood out. The second, lower number is your diastolic pressure, which is the blood pressure when your heart is relaxing and filling up with blood, not pushing any blood out. I think you've figured it out by now...blood being pushed out will be at a higher pressure, hence the higher first number :)


What does the 3 numbers blood pressure reading mean?

The upper reading is the systolic blood pressure while the lower reading is the diastolic blood pressure. Systole is the contraction of the heart while diastole is the relaxation of the heart.


What does a low blood pressure of 104 over 69 mean?

What does 104\69 blood pressure mean.


What is mean arterial blood pressure?

the blood pressure in your arteries is too high


What is more important the upper or the lower of blood pressure?

Both are important, but the upper number, if high, can lead to stroke or heart attack. If the bottom number is too low, it can mean your brain and organs aren't getting appropriate blood flow. If the two numbers are high and close together, there can be even more problems.