Glossary

Hypertension is the medical name for high blood pressure (BP). Blood pressure is measured as two numbers ie 120/80. The first number is systolic BP – the pressure when your heart beats. The second number is diastolic BP, which is the pressure when you heart rests between beats.

Target range for BP is usually 120/80. Drugs to reduce BP are sometimes recommended if this is above 130/85 or 140/90. This also depends on other risk factors for heart disease, including age, sex, ethnicity ajd other health factors.

Hypertension increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke, particularly when diastolic BP is high.

See: Hypotension (low blood pressure).

pharmacokinetics – the study of how drugs are absorbed, metabolised and cleared from the body.

null hypothesis – in a study this sometimes just refers to the hypothesis, but more specifically it refers the idea that any difference between 2 study groups has only occurred by chance.

dyspnoea – medical term for symptoms related to difficulty breathing, shortness or breath.

mg (milligram) – abbreviation for milligram. 1000 milligrams = 1 gram.