The pulse pressure is ________. Question 2 options: 1) systolic pressure plus diastolic pressure 2) systolic pressure minus diastolic pressure 3) systolic pressure divided by diastolic pressure 4) diastolic pressure plus 1/3 (systolic pressure plus diastolic pressure)

The force generated by the heart during the time of each contraction is referred to as the pulse pressure. It can be calculated by subtracting diastolic blood pressure from systolic blood pressure i.e., the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure and is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg).

During the contraction of heart, pressure is experienced in the aorta when the blood is pumped from the left ventricle into the aorta. This maximum pressure is known as systolic blood pressure and it is normally 120 mm Hg approximately. During the relaxation of heart (before the pumping of blood from the left ventricle into the aorta), a minimum pressure is experienced in the aorta and it is known as diastolic blood pressure which is normally 80 mm Hg approximately. Therefore, normal blood pressure is approximately 120/80 mmHg during the resting state of a healthy individual. So, the normal pulse pressure is approximately 40 mm Hg i.e., 120 mmHg - 80 mmHg = 40 mmHg.

In healthy adults, the normal pulse pressure is about 30–40 mmHg during the resting state. If the pulse pressure is less than 25% of the systolic pressure value, then it is referred to as low or narrow pulse pressure. It is normally seen in individuals suffering from blood loss due to trauma or hemorrhage, congestive heart failure, aortic stenosis, cardiogenic shock, etc.

If the pulse pressure is greater than 100 mmHg, then it is referred to as high or wide pulse pressure. It is normally seen in individuals during or shortly after exercise and also in persons with a larger amount of muscle mass. It is also seen in patients having heart-related problems such as hardening of the arteries, aortic regurgitation, etc.