Blood pressure

Blood pressure is defined as the amount of pressure exerted on the walls of the arteries as the blood moves through them. It is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg). Both the systolic and diastolic pressures are measured and these figures are usually represented with the systolic blood pressure first, followed by the diastolic blood pressure.So – if your GP says that your blood pressure is ‘120 over 80′, or 120/80 mmHg, what they mean is that you have a systolic pressure of 120 mmHg, and a diastolic pressure of 80 mmHg.