What you should know about blood pressure
• Pregnancy
During pregnancy blood pressure meas-
urement should not be performed without
prior consultation of your doctor since the
pregnancy might affect the blood pressure
levels.
• Medicines
If you are taking blood-thinning/anti-coag-
ulating drugs (clot prevention) you should
only make a measurement after consulting
your doctor.
Warning:
Measuring your own blood pressure is not
the same as treatment! Do not change any
drug dosage determined by your doctor.
1. Systolic and diastolic blood
pressure values
The cardio vascular system has the impor-
tant function of supplying all organs and
tissue in the body with sufficient blood
and of eliminating the products of me-
tabolism. The heart contracts and relaxes
in a regular rhythm around 60-80 times
per minute.
The pressure of the blood applied to the
artery walls during contraction of the
heart is described as systolic. The pressure
in the subsequent relaxed phase, when
the heart fills up with blood again, is
described as diastolic.
You determine both values in your daily
measurements.
E
GB-39