What is blood pressure: Average Ranges Show Normal Pressure On

Average Ranges Show Normal Pressure On the Arteries By Sheryl Huggins Salomon Medically reviewed by Jeffrey S. Lander, MD A blood pressure chart can help you interpret your results to see how they compare to the normal ranges. Monitoring your blood pressure (BP) is an important part of maintaining your health. Blood pressure measures the force pressed against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood through your body. Average blood pressure tends to differ by sex and rise with ... Discover how your age affects your blood pressure . Find out the normal range of blood pressure by age to maintain good health and prevent disease. Excessive pressure can harden arteries, decreasing the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart. This elevated pressure and reduced blood flow can cause: chest pain, also called angina; heart attack, which occurs when the blood supply to the heart is blocked and heart muscle cells die from lack of oxygen. Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure of circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels. Most of this pressure results from the heart pumping blood through the circulatory system. When used without qualification, the term " blood pressure " refers to the pressure in a brachial artery, where it is most commonly measured. Blood pressure is usually expressed in terms of the systolic pressure (maximum pressure during one heartbeat) over diastolic pressure (minimum pressure between two ...