Diastolic pressure is:

• A. The highest pressure during systole
• B. The arterial pressure at its lowest point in the cycle
• C. The mean arterial pressure
• D. The pressure in the aorta during diastole

Answer: (B)

Diastolic pressure is the arterial pressure at its lowest point in the cardiac cycle. It occurs during diastole when the heart relaxes and fills, so the pressure falls between the systolic peaks. This value is distinct from systolic pressure, which is the highest pressure during the heartbeat, and from mean arterial pressure, which is a weighted average of systolic and diastolic pressures. While diastolic pressure can be described as the pressure in the arteries (including the aorta) during diastole, the precise definition used in physiology and blood pressure measurement is the arterial pressure at the cycle’s minimum point.