key term - Diastolic pressure

Definition

Diastolic pressure is the lowest level of blood pressure measured in the arteries, occurring when the heart's ventricles are filled with blood during relaxation between beats. It represents the minimum pressure exerted against arterial walls at any given cardiac cycle.

Related terms

Systolic Pressure:

The highest level of blood pressure measured in the arteries, occurring when the heart contracts and pumps blood into them.

Blood Pressure:

The force exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels, typically measured using two values - systolic and diastolic pressures.

Ventricular Relaxation: A phase of the cardiac cycle where the ventricles relax, decrease in pressure, and fill with blood coming from the atria