What is the definition of pulse pressure?

Pulse pressure is defined as the difference between systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. In clinical practice, systolic blood pressure represents the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats (when the heart is contracting), while diastolic blood pressure measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats. The formula for calculating pulse pressure emphasizes this difference, which is crucial for understanding cardiovascular health. A higher pulse pressure can indicate stiffness of the arterial walls or other cardiovascular issues.

Understanding pulse pressure is important because it can provide insights into the health of a patient's vascular system and potential underlying conditions, such as hypertension or heart disease. The other options presented do not correctly define pulse pressure, focusing instead on different physiological metrics unrelated to the measurement of blood pressure dynamics.