What is defined as the difference between the systolic and the diastolic blood pressure?

The difference between the systolic and diastolic blood pressure is referred to as pulse pressure. This metric is significant because it offers insights into the health of a person's arteries and overall cardiovascular system.

Pulse pressure is calculated simply as the systolic pressure (the higher number, indicating the pressure in the arteries during heartbeats) minus the diastolic pressure (the lower number, representing the pressure in the arteries when the heart is resting between beats). For instance, if someone has a blood pressure of 120/80 mmHg, the pulse pressure would be 40 mmHg.

Understanding pulse pressure is crucial in clinical settings as well; abnormal values can signify various health issues, including arterial stiffness or cardiovascular disease. In contrast, terms like mean arterial pressure represent an average blood pressure over a cardiac cycle, while systolic and diastolic pressures are individual values rather than a difference.