The Washington herald., 1915-05-29
Exercise and High Blood Pressure.

| As a race, Americans suffer most from
high blood pressure-that is. they are ad-
! dcted to habits and practices that raise
| the pressure of the blood in the arteries
above the normal
This is probably not growth OF the
day-the high pressure of life Is not
entirely a modern condition-but 1t Is
only of recent years that the Importance
of blood pressure on life and general
health has been understood by physi-
Clans 1t is still not generally under
stood by laymen. .,
The expression high blood pressure
has a terrifying sound, because people
have learned that it accompanies GER
tain diseases, such as heart failure, ar
terio-sclerosis. Bright's disease, apo
plexy, etc. On the other hand, low olooo
pressure means neuresthenia, general de-
bility and brain flag.
It is highly valuable that we should
understand what mode Of life to follow
for normal pressure.
Most life insurance companies now
take the blood pressure as part of the
ordinary medical examination. The In
strument most commonly used has an
attachment which straps about the arm
with a little rubber cushion beneath II.
Air is pumped into this and pressure
applied to the blood vessels beneath uh-
iii the pulse in the wrist can hardly be
felt The wrist pulse. Of course. MARKS
the beating of the arteries When tne
pulsation in the wrist artery practlcaliy
ceases. the pressure upon the walls OF
the arteries equals the pressure aPpneo
nv the continuance about the arm. Inns
nressure by means of rubber tube. Is
communicated to a chamber containing
percury marked with a millimeter SCALE
something on the manner OF a thermon-
eter BY means of this scale 1t Is de-
termined how many millimeters OF mer-
curry are equivalent to the patient
blood pressure. Tests made on several
thousand apparently healthy adults, I'M
der forty-five years. show that the aver
age healthy individual has blood pres
SIRE VARYING from 10 to 100 millimeters.
Insurance companies charge a higher
rate where the blood pressure Is be-
tween 40 and 100 and decline to issue
pol;cies to those whose pressure Is over
leo.
Above this is high blood pressure: be-
low is low pressure, neither OF which Is
desirable. although the danger line Is
by no means indicated by either OF these
figures.
Perhaps I can make n plain by stating
that high pressure does not mean the
vessels, but the side pressure against
the walls of the arteries. the systolic
pressure This side pressure Is often re-
lieyed by a better circulation gained
through exercise and through regulation
Of diet and Of thought.
II has been discovered by careful ex-
periments that certain substances taken
into the body and certain mental condi-
tions will greatly raise or lower the
blood pressure and. IL persisted In. tend
to produce such diseases as arterio-
sclerosis, apoplexy. heart failure. etc,
while arterio-sclerosis Is sometimes q
cause as well as q result.
Tobacco stands foremost among the
common causes Of increased blood pres
sure and many physicians do not hesi-
tate to state that the increased NUMBER
of bloos-pressure diseases In America u
due to the increase Of tobacco con-
sumption.
The caffein Of coffee and the theine OF
tea exert a direct influence In eieVatins
the blood pressure. and the same Is true.
in a less dangerous degree. Of many
condimen' such as vinegar. pepper
horseradish and excessive eating OF
meat. ;,
Alcohol temporarily lowers the blood
pressure. but the reaction Is swift ana
dangerous. People who use aicohoi
habituaIly generally have dangerously
high pressure.
Morphine lowers the blood pressure.
while cocaine il q powerful raiser. This
il why people addicted to morhpine are
unconsciously led to substitute cocaine
the quickest known part in the regula-
ton Of pressure. A diet too rich In pro-
tein, as too much meat, for instance.
raises the pressure, while . diet not suf-
nciently rich in protein tends to low