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Article: Blood Pressure
- Article from:
- Encyclopedia of Public Health
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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BLOOD PRESSURE
Blood pressure is a physiological variable
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like body temperature, respiratory rate, or heart rate. Blood pressure is not constant throughout the day; each time the heart squeezes and relaxes, there is a new blood pressure. It increases before awakening and declines with sleep. The level of blood pressure is regulated by the kidneys, brain, heart, endocrine glands, and blood vessels. In the United States, the actual level of blood pressure gradually increases from birth to adulthood. Due to difference in diet and activity levels in nonindustrialized countries, however, blood pressure does not increase beyond the age of eighteen.
Whereas temperature is measured with ...