Chapter 20.2, Problem 5AYLO

Summary Introduction

To discuss:

Why arterial expansion and recoil during the cardiac cycle reduce pulse pressure and ease the strain on small arteries.

Introduction:

In order to keep the blood flowing in the artery, the heart must pulsate pressure. This is referred to as blood pressure (BP). The high blood pressure can lead to hypertension, and low blood pressure can lead to hypotension. This can be measured by using a sphygmomanometer. The sphygmomanometer is wrapped around the arm to take measurement of the blood pressure, as the brachial artery that passes through the heart is relatively close to the heart.