Although most people have their blood pressure measured at the doctor’s office once a year, many people aren’t sure what the numbers mean in relation to their overall health. However, blood pressure readings are easy to understand if you know the blood pressure basics.
A blood pressure reading consists of the measurements of two kinds of blood pressure: systolic pressure, which is the pressure in your arteries when your heart muscle contracts, and diastolic pressure, which is the pressure in your blood when your heart rests between beats. These two types of pressure are measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). A blood pressure measurement has systolic pressure listed first and diastolic pressure listed second. Read More
