Raena Morgan: Hello, I’m Raena Morgan with iHealthTube.com visiting today with Robert Kowalski. He is the author of the Blood Pressure Cure. He’s a medical journalist. Could you talk about the basics, what blood pressure is? Robert Kowalski: Okay, lets start with that. Raena Morgan: Okay. Robert Kowalski: lets start with the heart. We know that its good when the heart is beating and that wouldn’t stop. Raena Morgan: Right. Robert Kowalski: Unfortunately, the heart keeps beating throughout our lifetime. When the heart beats, ultimately, what you’ve got is a very efficient machine that’s acting as a pump. Every time the heart squeezes down, the chambers are compressed blood squirts out into the artery and puts pressure on the wall of the artery. Just like when you go out into the garden and turn on the hose. You turn that spigot and you see that hose jump a little bit, its because the water pressure is hitting the wall of the hose. Raena Morgan: That’s a very good analogy. Its very understandable. Robert Kowalski: more than an analogy, its actually what happens. You got this physical fluid going into the artery putting on that pressure. Raena Morgan: All right. Robert Kowalski: That is what is called the systolic pressure not that you really need to know that— Raena Morgan: But that’s the— Robert Kowalski: The number on top like in 120 over 80, which by the way is something that we’d all like to be or even a little lower than that. Now, in between the beats of the heart, when its resting and no blood is being injected into the artery that is a reduced pressure on the wall of the artery and it’s the lower number called the diastolic. When the heart beats the actual squeeze and that’s what your doctor is listening to when he’s got the stethoscope on and he;s listening to you and watching the mercury dropping. He’s hearing sounds. The first sound is when that heart—when the blood is ejected into the wall of the artery and the second sound that he’s hearing is between the beats when that pressure goes down. Raena Morgan: All right, so that gives us the lower numbers? Robert Kowalski: Right and there are no symptoms of blood pressure. Raena Morgan: None? Robert Kowalski: None, ironically, the only symptoms would be for people with very, very, very low blood pressure. Those people because they’re not getting enough pressure of blood coming through tend to be a little dizzy at time and have a little less energy but those unfortunately with elevated levels, which put them at risk and by the way the people that low blood pressure really aren’t at any risk, indeed they’re associated with longevity. But with those elevated numbers, there are no symptoms whatsoever. So everyone should know what the numbers are but don’t trust that first reading in the doctor’s office because you’ve got some anxiety, you’ve just ran across the parking lot to get into for your apartment and you’re immediately sat to take the pressure off and your legs dangling from the examination table. Its not an accurate reading. So, if it’s a little elevated, ask to have it repeated two or even three times after that and a good idea is to get a home monitor. In fact, I have one with me today just to show you what I’m talking about. This is a very good one that’s been approved by those people who judge the accuracy and predictability of such. This is another—a good brand as a life source. I suggest going to a place like Casco or one of the big box stores and discount stores, they sell them at about the same price you pay for a bathroom scale. Very easy to do you press the button, bingo! You’ve got the numbers out there. Raena Morgan: Excellent!