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A variety of things can affect blood circulation: blood vessel health, blood pressure, thyroid function, hydration, heart health, exercise, and blood viscosity. (More on this in a moment.)
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
How a varicose vein forms in a leg. Figure A shows a normal vein with a working valve and normal blood flow. Figure B shows a varicose vein with a deformed valve, abnormal blood flow, and thin, stretched walls. The middle image shows where varicose veins might appear in a leg. Comparison of healthy and varicose veins
High blood pressure is caused by the force of blood flow in the arteries being too high. The DASH diet includes heart-healthy foods that lower blood pressure. 21 foods that lower blood pressure ...
When blood vessels dilate, the flow of blood is increased due to a decrease in vascular resistance and increase in cardiac output [further explanation needed]. Vascular resistance is the amount of force circulating blood must overcome in order to allow perfusion of body tissues. Narrow vessels create more vascular resistance, while dilated ...
Nicotine is a stimulant that releases vasopressin, and can cause the blood vessel to constrict and thus can reduce the amount of blood to flow. Carbon monoxide is a toxic chemical that binds haemoglobin (molecule in the blood that carries oxygen) will decrease the amount of oxygen delivered to the cells and cause damage to other organs in the body.
Substances called vasoconstrictors can reduce the size of blood vessels, thereby increasing blood pressure. Vasodilators (such as nitroglycerin) increase the size of blood vessels, thereby decreasing arterial pressure. If the blood viscosity increases (gets thicker), the result is an increase in arterial pressure.
It is part of a body negative feedback loop in which the body tries to restore homeostasis (maintain constant internal environment). [citation needed] For example, vasoconstriction is a hypothermic preventative in which the blood vessels constrict and blood must move at a higher pressure to actively prevent a hypoxic reaction.