1. High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
By: Ryan Pedrigi
Resident Scientist/Mathematician

2. Heart Physiology

3. Heart and Vasculature

4. Blood Pressure
Blood Pressure (BP): The pressure exerted on the walls of the arteries as blood passes through via contraction of the heart
Systolic BP: The pressure exerted on the walls of the arteries during the contraction phase of the heart (Normally 120 mmHg)
Diastolic BP: The pressure exerted on the walls of the arteries during the relaxation phase of the heart (Normally 80 mmHg)

5. Measuring Blood Pressure

6. Hypertension Definition: Persistently high arterial blood pressure.
Systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg
Diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg
United States Statistics:
65,000,000 hypertensive in U.S.
22% of US population
1 in 3 (~33%) US adults
Why do we care?
Hypertension is the most prominent risk factor in most all cardiovascular diseases (CVD)

7. CVD Associated with Hypertension: Atherosclerosis

8. CVD Associated with Hypertension: Heart Disease