What is Systolic?
A muscular organ, the heart circulates blood throughout the body. The aorta is the largest artery in the body and it branches off into smaller arteries that carry blood to the different parts of the body. The aorta has a valve at the point where it meets the left ventricle. The valve stops blood from returning to the heart. Systole is the medical term for the left ventricle contracts.
Systolic blood pressure is the pressure in the arteries when the left ventricle contracts. The pressure in the arteries during a heartbeat is measured by the systolic blood pressure.
Pulse pressure is the force that blood exerts on the walls of the arteries with each heartbeat. The systolic blood pressure is affected by the stroke volume and peripheral resistance. Peripheral resistance refers to the resistance to blood flow in the arteries.
The systolic blood pressure is increased by increases in the stroke volume and peripheral resistance. The systolic blood pressure is decreased by decreases in the stroke volume and peripheral resistance.
What is Diastolic?
The term “diastolic” refers to the relaxation phase of the heart’s cycle when the heart is filling with blood. This phase begins when the ventricles start to relax and blood starts to flow from the atria to the ventricles.
The diastolic phase ends when the ventricles are full and the atrioventricular valves close. During diastole, the pressure in the ventricles is lower than the pressure in the atria. This difference in pressure creates a gradient that drives blood flow from the atria to the ventricles.
Blood cannot return through the atrioventricular valves into the atria. The duration of diastole is determined by the heart rate. A higher heart rate means a shorter diastolic phase. A lower heart rate means a longer diastolic phase. The diastolic phase is important for cardiac function. It allows the heart to fill with blood and prepare for the next systolic phase.
Difference Between Systolic and Diastolic
- Systolic pressure is the highest pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts, while diastolic pressure is the lowest pressure in the arteries when the heart relaxes.
- Systolic pressure occurs during the contraction phase of the cardiac cycle, while diastolic pressure occurs during the relaxation phase.
- The systolic pressure is generated by the left ventricle, while the diastolic pressure is generated by the right ventricle.
- Systolic pressure is a measure of the maximum blood pressure during contraction, while diastolic pressure is a measure of the minimum blood pressure during relaxation.
- The normal range for systolic pressure is 120-140 mmHg, while the normal range for diastolic pressure is 80-90 mmHg.
- Systolic pressure is affected by the strength of the heart’s contractions, while diastolic pressure is affected by the resistance to blood flow in the arteries.
- Systolic pressure is affected by the size of the arteries, while diastolic pressure is affected by the stiffness of the arteries.
- Systolic pressure is affected by the rate of blood flow, while diastolic pressure is not.
- Systolic pressure is affected by the elasticity of the arteries, while diastolic pressure is not.
- Systolic pressure is affected by the compliance of the arteries, while diastolic pressure is not.
Comparison Between Systolic and Diastolic
| Parameters of Comparison | Systolic | Diastolic |
| Heart Muscles | Contracts | Relaxes |
| Pumping blood | Pumps blood from the chambers into arteries | Allows the chambers to fill with blood |
| Normal Value | 120 mm mercury | 80 mm mercury |
| Femals | 110 mm Hg pressure | 70 mm Hg pressure |
| Importance | More attention given | Important but less important than systolic pressure |