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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.
The causes of this condition are not well understood, but research suggests that it may be caused by a combination of hemodynamic and neurohumoral factors. [8]Some studies have found that orthostatic hypertension may be caused by increased vascular resistance, possibly due to excess plasma shifts or increased blood viscosity.
For people with high blood pressure, higher heart rate variability (HRV) is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation. [51] Both high systolic pressure and high pulse pressure (the numerical difference between systolic and diastolic pressures) are risk factors. [49]
Blood viscosity is a measure of the resistance of blood to flow. It can also be described as the thickness and stickiness of blood. This biophysical property makes it a critical determinant of friction against the vessel walls, the rate of venous return, the work required for the heart to pump blood, and how much oxygen is transported to tissues and organs.
“Although high blood pressure typically causes no symptoms and people may feel perfectly well, long-term high blood pressure has been conclusively shown to damage internal organs, particularly ...
In the arterioles blood pressure is lower than in the major arteries. This is due to bifurcations, which cause a drop in pressure. The more bifurcations, the higher the total cross-sectional area, therefore the pressure across the surface drops. This is why [citation needed] the arterioles have the highest pressure-drop. The pressure drop of ...
Severely elevated blood pressure (equal to or greater than 180 mmHg systolic or 120 mmHg diastolic) is referred to as a hypertensive crisis (sometimes termed malignant or accelerated hypertension), due to the high risk of complications. People with blood pressures in this range may have no symptoms, but are more likely to report headaches (22% ...
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. [11] High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms itself. [1]