Afterload

Definition

Afterload is the resistance that the left ventricle must overcome to circulate blood out of the heart and into the arterial system. It directly impacts the heart's workload and efficiency in pumping blood.

Related terms

Preload:

Preload refers to the volume of blood in the ventricles at the end of diastole, just before contraction.

Cardiac Output:

Cardiac output is the amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute, indicating overall heart performance.

Systemic Vascular Resistance (SVR): Systemic vascular resistance is the force against which the heart must pump to deliver blood through systemic circulation, closely related to afterload