Multiple choice question. Select the correct answer. Systolic pressure is Othe force exerted on blood vessels when the heart is contracting. the pressure exerted on blood vessels when the heart is relaxed. both the force exerted on blood vessels when the heart is contracting and the pressure exerted on blood vessels when the heart is relaxed. none of these.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is: the force exerted on blood vessels when the heart is contracting.
Explanation:
Systolic pressure refers specifically to the pressure in your arteries when your heart contracts, or beats. This phase of the cardiac cycle is called systole. During systole, the heart’s ventricles contract and pump blood out into the arteries, creating a surge of blood flow. This surge generates a peak pressure that is measured as systolic pressure.
In contrast, diastolic pressure is the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats, during the phase known as diastole. During this phase, the heart chambers fill with blood, and there is no active contraction of the heart muscle, so the pressure exerted on the blood vessels is much lower than during systole.
To summarize:
- Systolic pressure measures the maximum pressure exerted on the artery walls when the heart contracts and pumps blood.
- Diastolic pressure is the pressure in the arteries when the heart is relaxed and filling with blood.
These two values, systolic and diastolic pressures, are typically recorded as a ratio (e.g., 120/80 mmHg, where 120 is systolic pressure and 80 is diastolic pressure). This ratio gives important information about your heart’s health and the force of blood circulation in the body.
High systolic pressure, or hypertension, can strain the heart and blood vessels, leading to increased risks for cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and stroke. Conversely, low systolic pressure, or hypotension, may indicate that the heart is not pumping enough blood to meet the body’s needs, causing dizziness and fainting.
Thus, systolic pressure is a crucial measure of how effectively the heart is pumping blood during contraction, and it is distinct from diastolic pressure, which reflects the state when the heart is relaxed.
