For adults over the age of 18 a normal resting blood pressure consists of a systolic pressure below 130 mmHg and a diastolic pressure below 85 mmHg. Resting blood pressures greater than these may indicate that an individual is hypertensive. Because blood pressure fluctuates over time, multiple measurements should be taken on two or more occasions in a controlled setting for the determination of an individual's typical blood pressure. The resting pulse will vary depending upon individual fitness levels and disease. The heart has 4 chambers, they are the right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium and the left ventricle.
Deoxygenated blood coming from the body enters the right atrium and passes to the right ventricle.
From the right ventricle blood is pumped to the lungs where it picks up oxygen. The oxygenated blood then returns to the left atrium and passes into the left ventricle. The left ventricle is then responsible for pumping blood to the rest of the body. The information on the Blacksburg Electronic Village Cardiac Health Web is intended for educational purposes only. This information is not intended to substitute for informed medical advice.