Definition

1. Noun:
   • The minimum arterial blood pressure during the relaxation phase of the heart's cycle: It is the lower of the two numbers in a blood pressure reading, measured when the heart's ventricles are relaxed and filling with blood.

Usage

• Noun:
  • A doctor records both systolic and diastolic pressure.
  • A healthy diastolic pressure is typically below 80 mmHg.
  • The reading showed a diastolic pressure of 75.

Advanced Usage

• "to have an elevated diastolic pressure": to have a diastolic reading that is higher than the normal, healthy range.
  • The patient was concerned because he consistently had an elevated diastolic pressure.
• "diastolic pressure measurement": the act or result of determining the diastolic pressure.
  • Accurate diastolic pressure measurement is crucial for diagnosis.

Variants and Related Words

• Diastolic (adj): Pertaining to diastole, the phase of the heartbeat when the heart muscle relaxes.
  • The diastolic reading was normal.
• Blood Pressure (n): The pressure of the blood in the circulatory system.
  • She monitors her blood pressure daily.
• Systolic Pressure (n): The maximum arterial pressure during contraction of the heart's left ventricle.
  • His systolic pressure was slightly high.

Synonyms

• Bottom number (informal, in the context of a blood pressure reading).
• Minimum blood pressure.

Related Terms

• Hypertension: The condition of having abnormally high blood pressure, which involves elevated systolic and/or diastolic pressure.
• Hypotension: The condition of having abnormally low blood pressure.

Noun

1. the blood pressure (as measured by a sphygmomanometer) after the contraction of the heart while the chambers of the heart refill with blood