Systolic pressure is defined as which of the following?

• A. Resting pressure between contractions.
• B. Maximum pressure felt on contraction of the heart.
• C. The rate of blood flow to tissues.
• D. The lowest arterial pressure during relaxation.

Answer: (B)

Systolic pressure is the peak arterial pressure reached during the heart’s contraction. When the ventricle ejects blood into the aorta, arterial pressure rises to its highest point—that is the systolic pressure. This is the number you see when blood pressure is reported as a high reading. The other descriptions point to different ideas: the pressure between beats is diastolic pressure, not systolic; rate of blood flow to tissues is about flow, not pressure; and the lowest arterial pressure during relaxation is the diastolic value. So the description of the maximum pressure during contraction best captures what systolic pressure represents.