Diastolic pressure represents which of the following?

• A. Elastic recoil or resting pressure between contractions.
• B. Maximum pressure during contraction.
• C. The mean pressure over the cardiac cycle.
• D. The pressure in the arteries during systole.

Answer: (A)

Diastolic pressure is the arterial pressure during the heart’s relaxation phase between beats. When the ventricles relax, the arteries recoil elastically and keep blood flowing, so the pressure settles to a lower, resting level. This resting, recoil-driven pressure is what we measure as diastolic pressure. In contrast, the peak pressure occurs during contraction (systole), and the mean pressure is a weighted average over the whole cardiac cycle. So the diastolic value specifically reflects the elastic recoil and the resting pressure between contractions.