Blood pressure is affected by any event or behavior that alters the body’s cardiovascular system specifically: peripheral resistance, vessel elasticity or cardiac output.
There are a number of factors that cause changes in the cardiovascular system and thereby affect blood pressure. Many of these factors have a short-term effect on blood pressure, but over time the effect may become long-term.
Some of the factors causing a short-term affect on blood pressure are
- Asleep or awake – Sleeping usually results in a lowering of BP
- Body position - lying down results in a lowing of BP while sitting or standing results in an increase in BP
- Emotional state - stress and anger increase BP while being relaxed decreases BP
- Temperature – blood pressure will tend to go up when a person is cold
- Sleep apnea - pauses in breathing while sleeping raise blood pressure
- Smoking – increases blood pressure
- Caffeine – increases blood pressure
- Alcohol – increases blood pressure
The last four items, sleep apnea, smoking, caffeine and alcohol over an extended period of time can cause the resting blood pressure to increase to the impact of these factors on the heart muscle and vascular resistance of the circulatory system.
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Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.