Watching a nurse pump air into that Velcro strap around one's
arm is all too familiar for many. Some even check their own
blood pressure using a self-monitoring device at home or in a
pharmacy. But what do the numbers mean? Regardless of how your
blood pressure is taken, the measurement and meaning of the
numbers are essentially the same. It's important to understand
the numbers and how they can affect the price of life insurance
premiums. Getting a reading A cuff is placed around the upper
arm and inflated to occlude, or temporarily block, the brachial
artery. This increases the blood pressure in the artery to above
normal. When the cuff is slowly deflated, the health care worker
or the blood pressure device itself listens or feels as the
blood flow is reestablished. The first sound, described as a
click, is recorded as your systolic pressure and is the number
listed on the top of the blood pressure equation. This reading
measures the blood pressure during the contraction of the heart,
when the blood is bein