Which statement accurately describes systolic and diastolic pressures?

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Multiple Choice

Which statement accurately describes systolic and diastolic pressures?

Systolic pressure is the arterial pressure when the heart’s ventricles contract (systole) and push blood into the aorta, causing the pressure to rise. Diastolic pressure is the arterial pressure during the heart’s relaxation (diastole) when the ventricles fill, and the arterial pressure falls to its minimum between beats. Blood pressure readings reflect these two pressures as systolic over diastolic. The other statements mix up the anatomy and timing: systolic pressure is not measured during diastole, diastolic pressure is not venous pressure, and systolic pressure does not occur only during respiration.

Systolic pressure is the arterial pressure when the heart’s ventricles contract (systole) and push blood into the aorta, causing the pressure to rise. Diastolic pressure is the arterial pressure during the heart’s relaxation (diastole) when the ventricles fill, and the arterial pressure falls to its minimum between beats. Blood pressure readings reflect these two pressures as systolic over diastolic.

The other statements mix up the anatomy and timing: systolic pressure is not measured during diastole, diastolic pressure is not venous pressure, and systolic pressure does not occur only during respiration.

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