Which type of blood pressure is measured during the contraction of the heart?

Systolic blood pressure is the measurement taken during the contraction of the heart, specifically during the phase known as systole. During this phase, the heart's ventricles contract, pushing blood out into the arteries. This creates the highest pressure in the arteries, which is recorded as the systolic blood pressure.

Measuring this pressure is crucial as it reflects how well the heart is pumping blood and indicates the force exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries when the heart beats. Understanding this measurement is essential in assessing cardiovascular health and identifying potential hypertension or other cardiac issues.

While diastolic blood pressure refers to the pressure in the arteries when the heart is in between beats (during relaxation), pulse pressure is the difference between systolic and diastolic pressures, and capillary pressure relates to the blood pressure within the capillaries, these measures do not represent the contraction phase of the heart.