Blood Pressure Testing
understanding your personal health and lifestyle
Blood pressure is the force exerted by blood against the arterial walls.
In-order for a blood pressure measurement to be recorded, the pressure of blood against the arterial walls must be measured when the heart contracts, this is known as the systolic pressure, and when the heart expands, this is known as the diastolic pressure.
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg)
Normally the body maintains the pressure of blood in the arteries within a narrow range.
If blood pressure is too high (hypertension), it can damage a blood vessel or even rupture it, causing bleeding or other complications. If blood pressure is too low (hypotension), not enough blood reaches all parts of the body. As a result, cells don’t receive enough oxygen and nutrients, and waste products are not adequately removed
Many factors can affect blood pressure, including:
- How much water and salt you have in your body
- The condition of your kidneys, nervous system, or blood vessels
- The levels of different body hormones
High blood pressure can affect all types of people. You have a higher risk of high blood pressure if you have a family history of the disease.
Smoking, obesity, and diabetes, are all risk factors for hypertension.
The body has many mechanisms that control blood pressure: the body can change the amount of blood the heart pumps, the diameter of the arteries, and the volume of blood in the blood stream.
To increase blood pressure, the heart can pump more blood by pumping more forcefully or more rapidly. Small arteries constrict (narrow), forcing the blood from each heartbeat through a narrower space than normal. Because the space in the arteries is narrower, the same amount of blood passing through them increases the blood pressure. Veins can also constrict, reducing their capacity to hold blood, thus forcing more blood into the arteries, as a result, blood pressure increases.
Conversely, to decrease blood pressure, the heart can pump less forcefully or rapidly, the arteries and veins can dilate (widen), and fluid can be removed from the bloodstream.
Prices
Full Lifestyle Health Check (90 Minutes) £70.00
Body Stat Analysis (10 Minutes) £10.00
