Diastolic pressure

Diastolic pressure is one component of measurement of blood pressure. The adjective "diastolic" is used to refer to filling of the heart with blood between muscle contractions. It is used to describe the opposite portion of the cardiac cycle related to contraction. Diastolic pressure refers to the lowest pressure within the arterial blood stream occurring during each heart beat. The other component of blood pressure is systolic pressure, which refers to the highest arterial pressure during each heart beat.

When blood pressure is stated for medical purposes, it is usually summarized as a ratio of systolic to diastolic pressure; for example: 120/80 mmHg.

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