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A diagram explaining factors affecting arterial pressure. Pathophysiology is a study which explains the function of the body as it relates to diseases and conditions. The pathophysiology of hypertension is an area which attempts to explain mechanistically the causes of hypertension, which is a chronic disease characterized by elevation of blood pressure.
As the vessels decrease in size, they increase their surface-area-to-volume ratio. This allows surface properties to play a significant role in the function of the vessel. Diffusion occurs through the walls of the vessels due to a concentration gradient, allowing the necessary exchange of ions, molecules, or blood cells.
The narrowing of blood vessels leads to an increase in peripheral resistance, thereby elevating blood pressure. While vasoconstriction is a normal and essential regulatory mechanism for maintaining blood pressure and redistributing blood flow during various physiological processes, its dysregulation can contribute to pathological conditions.
This physically means that blood vessels with a higher compliance deform easier than lower compliance blood vessels under the same pressure and volume conditions. [1] Venous compliance is approximately 30 times larger than arterial compliance. [2] Compliance is calculated using the following equation, where is the change in volume (mL), and is ...
The up and down fluctuation of the arterial blood pressure is due to the pulsatile nature of the cardiac output and determined by the interaction of the stroke volume versus the volume and elasticity of the major arteries. The decreased velocity of flow in the capillaries increases the blood pressure, due to Bernoulli's principle.
Intravascular volume depletion is divided into three types based on the blood sodium level: Isonatremic (normal blood sodium levels) Example: a child with diarrhea, because both water and sodium are lost in diarrhea. Hyponatremic (abnormally low blood sodium levels). Example: a child with diarrhea who has been given tap water to replete ...
The arm–leg (blood pressure) gradient is the difference between the blood pressure measured in the arms and that measured in the legs. It is normally less than 10 mm Hg, [36] but may be increased in e.g. coarctation of the aorta. [36]
Brain ischemia is insufficient blood flow to the brain, and can be acute or chronic. Acute ischemic stroke is a neurological emergency typically caused by a blood clot blocking blood flow in a vessel in the brain. [15] Chronic ischemia of the brain may result in a form of dementia called vascular dementia. [16]