Circulatory System 2
Blood Pressure
•
•
The force of blood on walls of blood
vessels
Blood pressure highest in arteries
and lowest in veins
– A rise and fall of pressure occurs with
heartbeat
– Normal pulse rates are 60-100 beats per
minute for adults
•
Measured using two numbers
– Systolic measures pressure caused by
ventricles contracting and pushing
blood out of heart
– Diastolic measures pressure that
occurs as ventricles fill with blood
•
Your brain tries to keep B.P constant.
Your brain sends messages to your
heart to raise or lower your blood
pressure by speeding up or slowing
down your heart rate
Cardiovascular Disease
• Leading cause of death in the
U.S.A
• Atherosclerosis fatty deposits
build up on artery walls and clog
arteries
– can occur in any artery, but
especially dangerous in coronary
arteries
• If coronary artery blocked, heart
attack can happen
• Hypertension high blood
pressure
– when blood pressure is high, heart
must work harder to keep blood
flowing
– Can be caused by atherosclerosis
Heart Disease Prevention
• Follow a healthy diet
– Avoid excess salt, cholesterol, and saturated fats
• Eliminate excess weight (it forces heart to pump
faster)
• EXERCISE!
• Strengthens heart and lungs, controls cholesterol and blood
pressure
• Manage stress, which causes heart to pump
faster
• Avoid smoking, which makes heart beat faster