Vascular resistance

<p>Vascular resistance is the resistance that must be overcome for <a href="/facts/Blood/03zEulkj">blood</a> to flow through the <a href="/facts/Circulatory_system/WXwudzzc">circulatory system</a>. The resistance offered by the systemic circulation is known as the systemic vascular resistance or may sometimes be called by another term total peripheral resistance, while the resistance caused by the <a href="/facts/Pulmonary_circulation/mBM1zMzc">pulmonary circulation</a> is known as the pulmonary vascular resistance. <a href="/facts/Vasoconstriction/9hdY0aR2">Vasoconstriction</a> (i.e., decrease in the diameter of <a href="/facts/Artery/Y1Yj0jat">arteries</a> and <a href="/facts/Arteriole/HYVG0g7P">arterioles</a>) increases resistance, whereas <a href="/facts/Vasodilation/cjzrU8Ro">vasodilation</a> (increase in diameter) decreases resistance. <a href="/facts/Blood_flow/HzubzJpn">Blood flow</a> and <a href="/facts/Cardiac_output/7JCDn6Ht">cardiac output</a> are related to <a href="/facts/Blood_pressure/VtqqSM2J">blood pressure</a> and inversely related to vascular resistance.
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Vascular resistance open-in-new

Vascular resistance