Discover the Top 7 Animals With the Highest Blood Pressure

 
High blood pressure in humans known as hypertension can increase the risk of many health problems. However some animals have healthy hearts despite having high blood pressure. Although reptiles have relatively low blood pressure birds and mammals have evolved with higher energy needs and therefore higher blood pressure. But which animals have the highest blood pressure? Read on to find out.
However before we begin its important to note it can be challenging to obtain blood pressure readings for animals. Weve compiled our list of animals we do know about. Scientists have managed to get direct readings of the following animals.

Giraffes
A giraffes blood pressure is high to help move blood all the way from its heart up its elongated neck to reach its brain.
For humans a normal systolic blood pressure is 120 millimeters of mercury mm Hg or lower. On the other hand a giraffes blood pressure can range from 180 to 300 mm Hg. The reason giraffes have much higher blood pressure than humans is due to their long necks. A giraffe needs to pump blood all the way up its towering neck to reach its head. To do this the blood pressure in a giraffes heart has to be high. 
Amazingly giraffes dont suffer the same consequences of hypertension as humans. Research has shown that giraffes do experience a thickening of their left ventricle one of the four chambers of the heart due to their high blood pressure. In humans this could be fatal. But research has shown its not the same for giraffes. Despite the thickening heart muscles a giraffes heart stays healthy. Researchers are studying how this works in giraffes with the hope it may someday lead to medical advancements for humans.
Bears
Grizzly bears can have a blood pressure as high as 253 mm Hg.
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Bears are another animal with high blood pressure. Research has recorded active black bears not in hibernation with a systolic blood pressure of 170 mm Hg. Grizzly bears were recorded at an even higher rate of 253 mm Hg. Intriguingly scientists have been studying bears heart health for clues on treating diabetes in humans. 
As bears prepare for hibernation they eat tens of thousands of calories per day and put on so much fat they would be considered obese in human terms. The bears must put on enough fat to survive six months of hibernation where