The heart at work

Question 1

Heart rate

Answer 1

Heart rate is the speed of the heartbeat measured by the number of contractions of the heart per unit of time, typically beats per minute (bpm).

Question 2

Blood Pressure

Answer 2

the pressure of the blood in the circulatory system, often measured for diagnosis since it is closely related to the force and rate of the heartbeat

Question 3

Systolic Pressure

Answer 3

the systolic pressure is typically the first number recorded. For example, with a blood pressure of 120/80 (“120 over 80”), the systolic pressure is 120. By “120” is meant 120 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury).

Question 4

Diastolic Pressure

Answer 4

The diastolic pressure is specifically the minimum arterial pressure during relaxation and dilatation of the ventricles of the heart when the ventricles fill with blood

Question 5

Sphygmomanometer

Answer 5

an instrument for measuring blood pressure, typically consisting of an inflatable rubber cuff that is applied to the arm and connected to a column of mercury next to a graduated scale, enabling the determination of systolic and diastolic blood pressure by increasing and gradually releasing the pressure in the cuff.

Question 6

Hypertension

Answer 6

High Blood Pressure

Question 7

Electrocardiogram

Answer 7

Electrodes are placed on the skin of the chest and connected in a specific order to a machine that, when turned on, measures electrical activity all over the heart. Output usually appears on a long scroll of paper that displays a printed graph of activity on a computer screen.