Hypertension - High Blood Pressure, Animation

Blood pressure is the force the circulating  blood exerts on the walls of blood vessels.   It is different in different types of  vessels, but the term ”blood pressure”,   when not specified otherwise, refers to  arterial pressure in the systemic circulation.  When the heart contracts and pumps blood into the  aorta, during systole, the aortic pressure rises,   and so does the systemic arterial pressure.  The maximum pressure following an ejection is   called the systolic pressure. In between  heart beats, when the ventricles refill,   blood pressure falls to its lowest value  called the diastolic pressure. These are   the 2 numbers on a blood pressure reading. Blood pressure normally shows a daily pattern   and is usually lower at night.  During day-time, it fluctuates   with physical activities and emotional states. Hypertension refers to a persistent high blood   pressure. In the US, high blood pressure  used to be defined as greater than 140/90,   but recent guidelines have changed these  values to 130/80 to better prevent and   treat the condition. Normal blood pressure is  below 120/80. In practice, blood pressure is   considered too low only if it produces symptoms. Hypertension does not cause symptoms on its own,   but it slowly damages blood vessels, and in the  long-term, is a major risk factor for a variety of   cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, aneurysm  and heart attack; as well as end organ damage such   as renal failure or vision loss. For this reason,  hypertension is known as the “silent killer”.  Hypertension can be classified as primary or  secondary, with the former being responsible   for over 90% of cases. Primary hypertension has no  apparent cause and may develop as a result of old   age, obesity, high-salt diet, lack of exercise,  smoking and drinking. Most commonly, the blood   vessels are hardened with age or unhealthy  diets, making it harder for blood to flow.  Secondary hypertension, on the other hand, is  caused by an underlying condition. Many conditions   and factors can cause hypertension; most notable  are kidney problems and endocrine disturbances.  Regardless of the cause, the increase in blood  pressure is produced by either an increase in   vascular resistance - narrower or stiffer blood  vessels; or an increase in cardiac output – larger   volume of blood pumped out by the heart. These 2  factors are the targets of antihypertensive drugs.  Treatments must start with life style  changes such as healthy, low-sodium diets,   physical exercise and stress management. On  top of that, antihypertensive agents may be   used to control hypertension. These include: - Vasodilators: these drugs dilate blood   vessels, thereby decreasing vascular  resistance and reducing blood pressure.  - Diuretics: diuretics promote  sodium and water removal by the   kidneys and thereby decrease blood volume. - Drugs that decrease cardiac output by   decreasing heart rate or contractility,  may also be used to treat hypertension.

Channel: Alila Medical Media

Views: 127,510

Rating: 4.8837838 out of 5

Keywords: yt:quality=high, anatomy, animated, antihypertensive agents, arterial stiffness, atherosclerosis, blood pressure, cardiac output, cardiology, cardiovascular, cholesterol, circulation, circulatory system, complications, conditions, diastolic blood pressure, diseases, drugs, essential hypertension, etiology, high blood pressure, hypertension, hypertensive, medical, medicine, pathology, physiopathology, primary hypertension, secondary hypertension, systolic blood pressure, vascular resistance

Id: JtBtk00EiVM

Length: 3min 48sec (228 seconds)

Published: Tue Feb 13 2018