Wide pulse pressure
· Pulse pressure is the difference in blood pressure between the systolic blood pressure and the diastolic blood pressure. The systolic blood pressure is the top number on blood pressure reading and is the maximum blood pressure when the heart is contracting and pushing blood out to the arteries. Diastolic blood pressure is the bottom number on the blood pressure reading and is the lowest blood pressure during the heart cycle when the heart is relaxing and filling up with blood returning from the body and is maintained by the the uniform contraction of all of the arteries and is analogous to the pressure or force created when you squeeze a tube tooth paste.
· Wide pulse pressure means an abnormally large difference between the systolic blood pressure and the diastolic blood pressure.
· Wide pulse pressure is caused by:
· An abnormal increase in systolic blood pressure from
· hypertension
· increased heart rate
· hardening of the arteries
· atherosclerosis
· plaque in arteries
· An abnormal decrease in diastolic from:
· shunting from arteries to veins
· shock
· loss of arterial tone
· regurgitation of the aortic valve
· Wide pulse pressure is 65 mm Hg or more.
Posted on June 3, 2009
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