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Blood pressure is defined as the blood flowing against the walls of the arteries and is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Several risk factors affecting blood pressure include unhealthy eating habits, obesity, kidney-related diseases, age, gender, blood volume, etc.
- As per recent reports, an abnormal rise in blood pressure is the leading cause of 10.8 million deaths each year.
- Leading a healthy lifestyle can lower the risks of blood pressure and its complications.
In this article, we will be discussing the factors that impact blood pressure.
Figure: Factors Affecting Blood Pressure
| Table of Contents |
Factors Affecting Blood Pressure
[Click Here for Sample Questions]
The blood pressure is determined by physiological as well as pathological factors. Age, gender, and sleeping patterns fall under psychological factors. On the other hand, the pathological factors that affect blood pressure are cardiac output, blood viscosity, peripheral vascular resistance, etc.
Psychological Factors
The psychological factors affecting blood pressure include regular habits and the personality of a person. These include:
- Sleeping Patterns
- Age
- Physical Activities
- Body Structure
- Meals
Sleeping Patterns
The blood pressure level is also influenced by the sleeping patterns. A healthy adult should sleep six hours at night for normal body functioning.
- Lack of sleep is usually associated with stress, depression, and other health problems which in turn elevates the blood pressure.
- During deep sleep, the level falls by 15-20 mm of Hg which can also increase slightly during rapid eye movement.
Age
With the increase in age, the arteries become rigid and deposition of plaque occurs. This deposition leads to an increased blood pressure.
- An increase in systolic blood pressure, arterial pressure, and pulse pressure, is seen.
- As per reports, women experience hypertension usually after menopause.
Physical Activities
Intense physical activities such as heavy weight lifting, and workouts may increase the systolic blood pressure by 20-50 mm of Hg.
- However, diastolic pressure decreases with an increase in physical activity.
- Mild exercise like walking, cycling, swimming, and running, is preferred.
Body Structure
Bad eating habits can lead to various health problems like obesity, heart-related problems, etc. which adversely affect the normal structure of the body.
- Obesity results in the deposition of fat in and around the kidneys thereby compressing it and leading to hypertension and intrarenal pressures.
Meals
Arterial blood pressure usually increases with increased cardiac output after a meal. However, this increase in blood pressure levels occurs only for a short period of time and eventually returns to normal within 1-2 hours of having a meal.
Pathological Factors
Cardiac output, elasticity of blood vessels, blood viscosity, circulating blood volume, and peripheral vascular resistance are the 5 factors that affect blood pressure.
Cardiac output
The amount of blood flow from the heart through the ventricles is called cardiac output which can be measured in liters per minute (L/min).
- Catecholamines, adrenaline, noradrenaline, and elevated levels of calcium ions increase the heart rate.
- Anoxia, decrease in the levels of calcium & potassium ions are the important factors that impacts the cardiac output by decreasing the heart rate.
| The formula for calculating cardiac output is expressed mathematically as: Cardiac output = Stroke volume x Heart rate |
- Overall, with increase in heart rate, the cardiac output also increases and vice-versa.
Elasticity of vessel walls
The ability of the vessel walls to regain their original shape is called the elasticity of vessel walls.
- The walls expand when the blood passes through them from the ventricles.
- Inelasticity of the walls would lead to an increase in blood flow resistance.
- This resistance would result in increased blood pressure.
Blood viscosity
The measure of resistance of blood flow is called blood viscosity. The thickness of blood is due to the presence of plasma proteins.
- The viscosity of blood is directly proportional to the blood pressure.
- Therefore, an increase in thickness results in increased blood pressure.
Circulating blood volume
Circulating blood volume is the volume of blood that flows through the body.
- As the volume of blood in the body decreases the pressure and flow of blood decreases.
- The pressure and flow of blood increase with the increase in the blood volume.
Peripheral Vascular Resistance
The resistance in the circulatory system which creates blood pressure is called peripheral vascular resistance or PVR.
- Peripheral Vascular Resistance increases when the blood vessels contract which in turn leads to increased blood pressure.
- When the blood vessels expand, the PVR decreases leading to a decrease in blood pressure.
Sample Questions
Ques. Can depression be one of the causes of increased blood pressure? (2 marks)
Ans. Yes, depression may contribute to elevated blood pressure in two ways such as:
- The release of stress hormones during depression may cause blockage in blood arteries and further results in severe heart problems.
- The most prevalent cardiac issues caused by depression are high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Ques. Mention the causes of high blood pressure. (2 marks)
Ans. The following are the causes of high blood pressure:
- Consumption of alcohol,
- Intake of high doses of drugs like antidepressants,
- Diabetes
- Less physical activity
Ques. Is there any way to prevent increased blood pressure? (2 marks)
Ans. Yes, blood pressure can be prevented by following a healthy lifestyle with:
- Controlled blood sugar levels,
- Improved sleep cycle,
- No alcohol consumption,
- Stress management,
- Eating healthy foods,
- Daily physical activity.
Ques. What other problems can be caused due to increased blood pressure? (2 marks)
Ans. Increased blood pressure can cause several problems:
- It can cause coronary heart disease and heart failure.
- High blood pressure can cause metabolic syndrome.
- It also affects the kidneys, brain, and eyes.
Ques. What blood pressure range is normal for adults and children?(1 mark)
Ans. The blood pressure range which is normal in adults is <120 mmHg and between 97-112 mmHg in children.
Ques. Mention any four signs of high blood pressure. (2 marks)
Ans. The following are the symptoms of high blood pressure:
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty in breathing
Ques. Can stiffness of arteries lead to increased blood pressure? (2 marks)
Ans. Yes, stiffness of arteries can lead to increased blood pressure.
- An increase in age results in the arteries becoming stiff as they start losing elastin fibers.
- Accumulation of rigid collagen fibers takes place causing high blood pressure.
Ques. How physical exertion can affect blood pressure? (2 marks)
Ans. Physical exertion can significantly affect one’s blood pressure.
- A 20-30 mmHg increase in blood pressure is noted after a mild physical exercise.
- After an intense exercise, there is a 40-50 mmHg increase in the systolic pressure.
- The diastolic pressure does not change much as it is less related to peripheral resistance.
Ques. What are the 5 factors that affect blood pressure? (1 mark)
Ans. The 5 factors that affect blood pressure are:
- Vessel wall elasticity
- Cardiac output
- Peripheral Vascular Resistance
- Circulating blood volume
- Blood viscosity
Ques. Answer the following:- (2 marks)
a) Blood pressure can be measured by _________.
b) Blood pressure is controlled by which part of brain?
c) Does caffeine affect blood pressure?
Ans. The answers to the questions are:-
a)Sphygmomanometer
b) Medulla Oblangata
c) Yes, too much caffeine can increase blood pressure. 400 milligrams of caffeine a day is considered safe.
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