Blood pressure
Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is produced primarily by the contraction of the heart muscle. It’s measurement is recorded by two numbers. The first (systolic pressure) is measured after the heart contracts and is highest. The second (diastolic pressure) is measured before the heart contracts and lowest. A blood pressure cuff is used to measure the pressure. Elevation of blood pressure is called “hypertension”.
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- Blood pressure, high
Blood pressure, high: Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure is, by definition, a repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg — a systolic pressure above 140 or a diastolic pressure above 90. Chronic hypertension is a “silent” condition. Stealthy as a cat, it can cause blood vessel changes in the back of […]
- Blood pressure, low
Blood pressure, low: Any blood pressure that is below the normal expected for an individual in a given environment. Low blood pressure is also referred to as hypotension. Low blood pressure is a relative term because the blood pressure normally varies greatly with activity, age, medications, and underlying medical conditions. Low blood pressure can result […]
- Blood sugar
Blood sugar: Blood glucose. See also: High blood sugar; Low blood sugar.
- Blood sugar, high
Blood sugar, high: An elevated level of the sugar glucose in the blood. Also called hyperglycemia. High blood sugar is a finding in a number of conditions, most notably diabetes mellitus. Elevated blood glucose leads to spillage of glucose into the urine (glucosuria) so that the urine is sugary. (The term diabetes mellitus means “sweet […]
- Blood sugar, low
Blood sugar, low: The sugar here is glucose. Low blood glucose constitutes hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is mainly significant when it is associated with symptoms. However, low sugar that the patient is unaware of can lead to serious problems. Low sugar has many causes including drugs, liver disease, surgical absence of the stomach, pre-diabetes, and rare tumors […]