Diastolic & Systolic Blood Pressure

[vertciel]

Hello everyone,

In my Biology 11 textbook, it says that:

"The diastolic blood pressure is the pressure to which blood vessels are exposed the majority of the time. The systolic blood pressure, on the other hand, is exerted on blood vessels only in short bursts following the ventricular contractions. This observation led researchers to believe that a high diastolic blood pressure was the most important indicator of health risks associated with hypertension".

However, shouldn't the SYSTOLIC blood pressure be the pressure to which blood vessels are exposed most of the time because the systolic blood pressure refers to the pressure generated by the contraction of the left ventricle, which is carried out in arteries? Therefore, shouldn't a high systolic blood pressure be the more important indicator of health risks associated with hypertension?

Thanks!

[mith]

Your pulse corresponds to your systolic, when you're not pulsing corresponds to your diastolic. Which one lasts longer?

[vertciel]

Thanks for your reply mith!

[Revenged]

Average blood pressure = 1/3 x systolic blood pressure + 2/3 x diastolic blood pressure

The above equation is an estimate but diastolic b.p. is a 'more important' than systolic for average b.p.

However, in clinical medicine how the heart acts under stress is more important.

[sonawanes61]

during relaxation of heart it is diastolic and
during contraction it is systolic