Blood Pressure: Variation and Homeostasis

Blood Pressure

MAP: mean arterial pressure = diastolic pressure + 1/3 pulse pressure

pulse pressure = SP - DP

Blood Flow

blood flows from higher to lower pressure

Q = P/R

Excessive Blood flow --> rupture blood vessels --> hemorrhage

stroke, blindless, heartfailure, kidney disease, heart attack

increase in age --> increase risk of ruptured blood vessels bc blood vessels become stiff/hardened

Systolic Pressure

Major factors affecting: stroke volume and arterial compliance

Minor factors affecting: heart rate

Diastolic Pressure

Major factors affecting: TPR

Minor factors affecting: stroke volume, heart rate

Changes Blood Pressure

Obesity increases BP: overstimulation of SNS, and RAAS, insulin resistance

Sleep lowers BP

Emotional stress increase BP

it peaks during middle of afternoon

Gender differences

before menopause, male has higher BP than female

after menopause, female has higher BP than male

Increases with Age

more production of ADH and less control on RAAS

replacement of elastic fiber of tunica media with inelastic fibers

increase sympathetic tone and decrease vascular compliance

estrogen hormone: vasodilator and ACE downregulator

Sympathetic tone increases after menopause

Vascular Compliance

degree of ability for blood vessel to hold blood without changing their pressure

veins has a larger vascular compliance than arteries

Gravity

vessels above the heart has lower pressures than below the heart

risk if air embolism occur during brain surgery

bc brain vessel pressure are negative, slight changes in pressure can lead to rupture --> stroke

Regulation

Short term

Long term

Hormonal

Neural

Baroreceptor reflex

Chemoreceptor

RAAS

control of respiration

sensitive to (-) O2, (-) pH, (+) CO2 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

stimulates ventilation and SNS

stimulated by brain hypoxia

increase ICP

brain ischemia

stimulate chemoreceptor

stimulate SNS

increase CO, TPR, MAP

decrease heartrate

(-) MAP --> (-) RBF --> (-) GFR --> (+) RAAS

(+) BP

increase urine volume --> increase MAP

Postural Hypotension

Veins has the lowest pressure specifically venae cavae

pulse pressure measures compliance