Sunbeam 7689 User Manual
Page 2
Helpful information
What is Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is the force that blood exerts on
the arteries. This force is constantly changing as
the heart beats. When the heart contracts, blood
pressure reaches its highest value. This is called
systolic blood pressure. When the heart relaxes
between beats, the value of blood pressure is
lower. This is called the diastolic blood pressure.
The unit of measure for blood pressure is the mil-
limeter of mercury, abbreviated
For example, an individual’s blood pressure may
be measured as 120
(systolic) and 80
(diastolic). This would be spoken as “120
over 80” and written as
Remember
that blood pressure varies throughout the day.
Food intake, smoking, time of day, stress, level
of exercise and many other factors can affect it.
Typical daily blood pressure fluctuations
(Example:
male)
What is High Blood Pressure?
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a condi-
tion where an individual’s blood pressure