Health Application
A doctor reports blood pressure in millimetres of mercury (mm Hg) as a ratio of systolic blood pressure to diastolic blood pressure (such as 140 over 80). Systolic pressure is measured when the heart beats, and diastolic pressure is measured when it rests. Refer to the table of blood pressure ranges for adults.
Manohar is a healthy 37 years old man whose blood pressure is in the normal category.
A. Calculate an approximate ratio of systolic to diastolic blood pressures in the normal range.
B. If Manohar’s systolic blood pressure is 102 mm Hg, use the ratio from part (a) to predict his diastolic blood pressure.
C. Calculate ratio of average systolic to average diastolic blood pressure in the prehypertension category.
A) Systolic blood pressure in the normal range = 120mm Hg
Diastolic blood pressure in the normal range = 80mm
Approximate ratio of systolic to diastolic blood pressure = 
= 
= 
∴ ratio = 3:2
B) Manohar’s systolic blood pressure = 102mm Hg
Let diastolic blood pressure = x mm Hg
Approximate ratio of systolic to diastolic blood pressure = 
⇒ 
= 
⇒ x = 
⇒ X = 68mm Hg
C) Average systolic blood pressure in prehypertension category = 
= 
mm Hg
Average diastolic blood pressure in prehypertension category = 
= 
mm Hg
Hence, ratio of average systolic to average diastolic blood pressure = 
= 
= 
= 
Ratio is 259:169
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