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5.14: Why is Blood Pressure Measured?

  • Page ID
    16856
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    • A person’s blood pressure provides insight into the functioning of the body
    • Healthy body functioning is influenced by healthy blood pressure
    • The findings can provide information about the integrity of arteries and heart functioning, which can lead the healthcare provider to conduct additional assessments
    • High blood pressure can cause the arteries to become weak and damaged and cause the heart to become weak and enlarged
    • Low blood pressure can decrease perfusion of nutrients and oxygen to the body’s cells, influencing ability to function and potentially to cellular death
    • Chronic high blood pressure can contribute to conditions such as vascular disease, myocardial infarction, cerebral stroke, kidney disease, and dementia

    This page titled 5.14: Why is Blood Pressure Measured? is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Lapum et al. (Ryerson University Library) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.