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The Importance Of Pulse Pressure

Decent Essays

1. Define pulse pressure? How did it change with light and heavy exercise to PP? What is the expected PP response to exercise? 2 marks
 Pulse pressure is the difference between the systolic and diastolic pressure reading. It represents the force that the heart generates each time it contracts. During exercise periods, the pulse pressure will increase because the stroke volume, or the amount of ventricular blood pumped with a given contraction increases to fuel muscular contractions. This increase in stroke volume will cause an increase in systolic pressure, while the diastolic pressure will remain relatively constant, increasing the value of pulse pressure. Based on needs for muscular activity, the stroke volume will adjust accordingly, so lighter exercise will have a smaller increase in ventricular contraction and heavier exercise will have a greater increase in ventricular contraction. This will result in a smaller increase in systolic pressure for light activity and greater increase in systolic pressure for heavy activity. It is expected this to happen because with an increasing demand for oxygenated blood from muscles engaging in sarcomeric contraction, the heart will contract with greater force (systolic pressure) in order to maximize stroke volume, ensuring that sufficient oxygen/nutrients is given to working muscles.

2. Describe the mean arterial blood pressure response to light and

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