Systolic: The blood pressure when the heart is contracting. It is specifically the maximum arterial pressure during contraction of the left ventricle of the heart. The time at which ventricular contraction occurs is called systole.
Blood pressure is always given as these two numbers, the systolic and diastolic pressures. Both are important. Usually they are written one above or before the other, such as 120/80 mmHg. The top number is the systolic and the bottom the diastolic. When the two measurements are written down, the systolic pressure is the first or top number, and the diastolic pressure is the second or bottom number (for example, 120/80). If your blood pressure is 120/80, you say that it is "120 over 80."
The mmHg part of the measurement stands for millimeters of Mercury. This is because the original measuring devices indicated the pressure using a column of mercury. These days digital devices are used but they are calibrated to read in mmHg for consistency.
normal blood pressure reading
That reading would indicate a high blood pressure, 120 over 80 would normal.
When measuring blood pressure, this is the lower number. It is the pressure in the heart as it rests between beats.
A blood pressure reading consists of two numbers: systolic pressure (the top number) and diastolic pressure (the bottom number). The systolic pressure measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats, while the diastolic pressure measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats. The third number, if present, is the pulse pressure, calculated by subtracting the diastolic pressure from the systolic pressure. This number gives an indication of the force the heart generates with each contraction.
Diastolic blood pressure is recorded at the point when the sounds of the Korotkoff phases, which are heard through a stethoscope, disappear or are no longer audible. This indicates the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats. Typically, this is noted as the second number in a blood pressure reading, following the systolic measurement.
The larger of the two numbers in a blood pressure reading is the "systolic" reading. The lower number is the "diastolic." The systolic reading measures how hard the heart pumps when it contracts; whereas the diastolic reads the pressure when the heart relaxes.
Systolic (the higher number) is a reading of the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart is beating at its maximum strength. Diastolic (the lower number) tells you what the pressure is in your blood vessels when your heart is at rest.
A blood pressure reading of 137/78 is not considered high. When the top number is 140 or higher that is considered high blood pressure.
The first number in a blood pressure reading is the systolic blood pressure. It represents the pressure in the artery when the heart is contracting. The second number is the diastolic blood pressure, and represents the pressure when the heart is relaxing.
The absolute value of the blood pressure gauge reading is the positive value of the number shown on the gauge, regardless of whether it is above or below zero.
It is an instrument for measuring blood pressure and especially arterial blood pressure. :)
The blood pressure measured when the ventricles relax is called diastolic blood pressure. It is the lower number in a blood pressure reading, representing the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between contractions.