Capella University
NURS-FPX6203: Theory Development in Nursing
Professor Name
October 2024
Cardiovascular System Lab
With an organ system, the heart and circulatory system of blood vessels are considered the body’s primary movers and shakers. Is to regulate the body, especially to ensure the supply of oxygen, nutrients, and hormones, and removal of waste products in the body (Wuche, 2022). The heart oversees the circulation of blood, pumping oxygenated blood through arteries to most parts of the body while veins collect the deoxygenated blood that is circulating and returning it to the heart for reoxygenation (AlShahrani et al., 2021). There is no question that cardiovascular lab assessments will enable us to determine the proper functionality of the system and dysfunctions like hypertension and tachycardia (Thosar & Shea, 2021). These are important tools in identifying early signs of cardiovascular diseases a category of disease that is contributing to high mortality rates globally. Knowledge of blood pressure, pulse rate, and their relationship is basic to preventive and diagnostic cardiovascular health care.
What is Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is the pressure that blood exerts against the walls of arteries every time the heart is pumping (Bress et al., 2024). It is recorded with two values: systolic pressure at the time of contractions of the heart and diastolic pressure between two contractions (Al-Ishaq et al., 2021). These two numbers indicate how well the heart performs and how well the blood vessels respond (Thomas, 2023). Typical blood pressure is thought to be situated around 120/80 mmHg. Hypertension complicates the cardiovascular circulatory system and puts extra pressure on the arteries, and heart and could lead to heart attacks, stroke, or kidney failure (Auneet al., 2023). On the other hand, low blood pressure, or hypotension can also result in some discomforts like dizziness, fainting, and being tired, which shows the significance of balance.
What is Heart Rate?
Heart rate means the number of heartbeats per minute (bpm) and is related to the effort the heart is making at a certain time (Su et al., 2022). The mean resting heart rate for volunteers in a resting state ranged from thirty-six bpm to seventy-two bpm, although normal resting bpm for adults is between sixty and one hundred bpm (Wong et al., 2023). High cardio-fitness is mostly associated with low resting heart rate since athletes and other fit people have efficient pumps within their hearts. On the other hand, higher resting heart rates could be a sign of poor cardiovascular health or other health problems (Tsai et al., 2023). A second factor is heart rate variance (HRV) –the interval between successive heartbeats–, incorporated as a measure of heart health and where increased HRV means improved cardiovascular capacity and ability to respond to stressors.
Correlation between Heart Rate and Blood Pressure
Blood pressure and pulse rate are the two most common cardiovascular health vital signs that are directly related and are constantly changing and responding to the body’s needs. Normally, levels of blood pressure rise with high heart rates for instance when exercising or under stress, because the heart pumps more blood to meet the extra oxygen requirements of different tissues in the body (Bolinet al., 2022). Nonetheless, although both the two variables improve together most of the time, they can sometimes go in different paths. Some drugs for example beta-blockers, are known to cause a drop in heart rate without causing a corresponding reduction in blood pressure (Bolin et al., 2022). Likewise, effects from hormonal change such as that from adrenaline or thyroid hormones can cause heart rate increase without causing high blood pressure. Moreover, one can have pathological heart rate or blood pressure values due to primary arrhythmias or autonomic dysfunction. The fluctuations in both parameters show that they are closely interrelated, but the ability to track each on its own is valuable for analyzing cardiovascular health.
Cardiovascular Results in Patients and Lifestyle Improvements
Patient Case 1
- Age: 55-year-old male
- Complaint: Hypertension
- Blood pressure: 150/95 mmHg
- Heart rate: 85 bpm
After changing to a healthier diet plan by reducing the use of salt and increasing exercises his blood pressure dropped to 130/85 mmHg and his pulse settled at 78 bpm.
Patient Case 2
- Age: 45-year-old female
- Complaint: Overweight and lack of exercises
- Blood pressure: 140/90 mmHg (Severe III hypertension).
- Heart rate: 98 bpm
Following the changes made which included taking daily brisk walks and taking a balanced diet her heart rate dropped to 85 bpm while the blood pressure dropped to 125/80 mmHg.
BIO FPX 1000 Assessment 1 Conclusion
Championing cardiovascular health checks is vital as a way of evaluating potential health risks. These two factors are related but can function separately, especially in the presence of certain health complications (Varma et al., 2022). Regular monitoring of blood pressure and heart rate provides early detection of issues, allowing for timely intervention. Additionally, lifestyle modifications, including dietary changes and exercise, have been shown to improve cardiovascular disease outcomes and decrease the likelihood of heart disease.
BIO FPX 1000 Assessment 1 References
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Al-Ishaq, R. K., Kubatka, P., Brozmanova, M., Gazdikova, K., Caprnda, M., & Büsselberg, D. (2021). Health implication of vitamin D on the cardiovascular and the renal system. Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry, 127(3), 195–209. https://doi.org/10.1080/13813455.2019.1628064
Aune, D., Mahamat-Saleh, Y., Kobeissi, E., Feng, T., Heath, A. K., & Janszky, I. (2023). Blood pressure, hypertension and the risk of atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. European Journal of Epidemiology, 38(2), 145–178. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-022-00914-0
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Varma, M., Sequeira, T., Naidu, N. K. S., Mallya, Y., Sunkara, A., Patil, P., Poojary, N., Vaidyanathan, M. K., Balmaekers, B., Thomas, J., Prasad N, S., & Badagabettu, S. (2022). Contactless monitoring of respiratory rate (RR) and heart rate (HR) in non-acuity settings: a clinical validity study. BMJ open, 12(12), e065790. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-065790
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