Question

Which of the following describes systolic pressure?

1) The force blood exerts on the wall of a blood vessel during both the contraction and relaxation phases of the heart
2) The pressure exerted by the blood during the heart's contraction phase
3) The pressure exerted by the blood during the heart's relaxation phase

Answer 1

Systolic pressure measures the amount of pressure that blood exerts on vessels while the heart is beating. The optimal systolic blood pressure is 120 mmHg. It occurs during the heart's contraction phase.

Step-by-step explanation:

Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure exerted by blood on the walls of a blood vessel that helps to push blood through the body. Systolic blood pressure measures the amount of pressure that blood exerts on vessels while the heart is beating. The optimal systolic blood pressure is 120 mmHg. Diastolic blood pressure measures the pressure in the vessels between heartbeats. The optimal diastolic blood pressure is 80 mmHg.

During the cardiac cycle, the blood continues to empty into the arterioles at a relatively even rate. The resistance to blood flow is called peripheral resistance. Systolic pressure occurs during the heart's contraction phase, when the ventricles contract and blood is ejected into the arteries. This phase is represented by the higher number in a blood pressure measurement, such as 120/80 mmHg.