Which term describes arterial pressure that remains between heart contractions?

• A. Blood Pressure That Remains Between Heart Contractions.
• B. Pressure During Ventricular Contraction.
• C. Pressure In The Arteries During Exercise.
• D. Maximum Pressure During Systole.

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is the pressure in the arteries when the heart is relaxing between beats. This is diastolic pressure—the minimum arterial pressure in a cardiac cycle as the ventricles fill and the arteries are held up by their elastic walls after the squeeze of the heartbeat. That’s why describing it as the blood pressure that remains between heart contractions is the best fit. In contrast, pressures during ventricular contraction describe systolic pressure, and maximum pressure during systole is the peak systolic value, not the pressure between beats. In a typical reading, it's around 80 mmHg for diastolic and about 120 mmHg for systolic.