Resting Blood Pressure which provides information to the overall efficiency of your cardiovascular system to deliver blood throughout your body, is a strong indicator of cardiovascular health and is influenced by a number of factors.
Blood Pressure has two valves which are Systolic and Diastolic and are measured in mmhg(millimeters of mercury as seen in a mercury manometer). The top number reflects the systolic which is the vascular pressure experienced during left ventricular contraction. The Systolic Blood Pressure is affected by the number of factors including cardiac output, arterial elasticity and the peripheral resistance. Your Ideal systolic number should be around 120 mmhg. The bottom number reflects the Diastolic which is when the arterial pressure is dramatically reduced secondary to the relaxation of the cardiac cycle. The ideal Diastolic number should be around 80 mmhg. If the Diastolic is high it indicates that the pressure within the arteries is NOT dissipating quickly which means slow movement of the blood from the arterioles into the capillaries. This may de due to decreased elasticity within the vessel wall and/or increased peripheral resistance.
Hypertension is the most common form of cardiovascular disease, which is characterized by a blood pressure reading of greater than or equal to 140/90 mmhg. Someone with a BP reading of 140/90 mmhg is considered to have Hypertension and if someone has a reading of 160/100 mmhg or higher they need a medical clearance to start an exercise program.