Blood Pressure Facts

Bradycardia the Hearts Slow Rate High blood pressure is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, peripheral vascular disease and renal failure. High blood pressure is more likely to develop among people who are overweight or physically inactive, or have high dietary salt intakes. Hypertension is one of the most frequently managed problems in general practice worldwide.

The heart pumps blood around the body through the blood vessels. Blood pressure is the amount of force exerted on the artery walls by the pumping blood. High blood pressure (hypertension) means the blood is pumping with more force than normal through arteries. This added stress upon the arteries could possibly accelerate the distribution of arteries with fatty plaques (atherosclerosis).

Other risk factors for atherosclerosis include cigarette smoking and high blood cholesterol. Atherosclerosis contributes too many heart illnesses, such as heart attack and stroke. Hypertension is a common disorder of the circulatory system, affecting around one in seven people.

Hypertension usually produces no symptoms. This means most people dont even realize they have it. Experts recommend that everyone should have their blood pressure checked regularly.

When the heart contracts the blood inside the left ventricle, is forced into the aorta and arteries. The blood then enters small vessels with muscular walls, called arterioles. The tone within the muscular walls of the arterioles determines how relaxed or constricted they are. If narrowed, they resist flow.

Reduced flow of blood is detected in the brain, the kidneys and elsewhere. Nerve reflexes are stimulated and hormones are then produced. The heart is induced to beat more forcefully so that the blood pressure is maintained at a higher level, to overcome the restricted flow through the arterioles. The achievement of good flow (now at high pressure) eases possible problems for function of the brain and kidneys. These adjustments happen normally. There are some people that the adjustments become fixed and high blood pressure persists. These people have developed hypertension. Bradycardia is when the heart rate is less than that of sixty beats per minute. A normal healthy heartbeat is between sixty and one hundred beats per minute. Bradycardia is the opposite of Tachycardia the condition where the heart beats way to fast.

In some people, such as athletes and people who are very active, Bradycardia rates can be as low as fifty beats per minute. This can be normal and as the person exercises, the heart rate will continue to become stronger and more efficient. This is because less heart contractions are necessary to supply their bodys needs.

In other cases, bradycardia can be a form of cardiac arrhythmia, a heart-rate abnormality.
Bradycardia can cause dizziness, weakness, lack of energy, or fainting spells.

If bradycardia is caused by a medical illness, there will be additional symptoms that are specific to that illness. For example, people whose bradycardia is due to severe hypothyroidism may also be able to have constipation, muscle cramps, weight gain, very dry skin, hair that is thin and dry, an abnormal sensitivity to cold temperatures and other symptoms related to low levels of thyroid hormones.
How long bradycardia lasts depends on its cause.

For example, normal bradycardia in a well-trained athlete will last as long as the athlete maintains his or her usual level of exercise. For instance is bradycardia occurs as a side effect of medication, it usually disappears as soon as the drug that triggered the bradycardia is finished. For example any Bradycardia caused by hypothyroidism will go away quickly after treatment with thyroid hormones. There are certain forms of bradycardia resulting from cardiac arrhythmias that can be cured with a permanent pacemaker.

When bradycardia occurs as a side effect of medication, the problem can be prevented by either switching the drug or reducing its dose. In premature infants, bradycardia is also very common and the infant will require constant medical attention.

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