Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
Capillary blood sampling can be used to test for blood glucose (such as in blood glucose monitoring), hemoglobin, pH and lactate. [ 30 ] [ 31 ] It is generally performed by creating a small cut using a blood lancet , followed by sampling by capillary action on the cut with a test strip or small pipette . [ 32 ]
Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure of circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels. Most of this pressure results from the heart pumping blood through the circulatory system. When used without qualification, the term "blood pressure" refers to the pressure in a brachial artery, where it is most commonly measured.
These include simple methods such as those that are part of the cardiovascular examination, including the taking of a person's pulse as an indicator of a person's heart rate, the taking of blood pressure through a sphygmomanometer or the use of a stethoscope to listen to the heart for murmurs which may indicate problems with the heart's valves.
Distension of the vessels due to increased blood pressure is a fundamental stimulus for muscle contraction in arteriolar walls. As a consequence, microcirculation blood flow remains constant despite changes in systemic blood pressure. This mechanism is present in all tissues and organs of the human body.
Diagram of the circulation related to a single glomerulus, associated tubule, and collecting system. The glomerulus receives its blood supply from an afferent arteriole of the renal arterial circulation. Unlike most capillary beds, the glomerular capillaries exit into efferent arterioles rather than venules.
To put this into perspective, some research shows that reducing your systolic blood pressure (top blood pressure reading) by 5 mmHg may lower your risk of cardiovascular events by 10%! The Bottom Line
The smaller arteries and arterioles have higher resistance, and confer the main blood pressure drop across major arteries to capillaries in the circulatory system. Illustration demonstrating how vessel narrowing, or vasoconstriction, increases blood pressure. In the arterioles blood pressure is lower than in the major arteries.
The blood pressure in blood vessels is traditionally expressed in millimetres of mercury (1 mmHg = 133 Pa). In the arterial system, this is usually around 120 mmHg systolic (high pressure wave due to contraction of the heart) and 80 mmHg diastolic (low pressure wave). In contrast, pressures in the venous system are constant and rarely exceed 10 ...