What does systolic blood pressure measure?

Systolic blood pressure specifically measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart muscle contracts and pumps blood into circulation. This phase of the cardiac cycle is known as systole. During this contraction, blood is ejected from the left ventricle into the aorta, creating a peak pressure in the arteries. This metric is crucial because it indicates how effectively the heart is able to pump blood, as well as the pressure that the arteries must withstand with each heartbeat.

Understanding this concept is essential for assessing a patient's cardiovascular health and can help in identifying conditions such as hypertension, which can lead to significant health issues if not managed effectively. The other options relate to different aspects of blood pressure measurement but do not accurately describe systolic blood pressure. For instance, diastolic pressure relates to the pressure during heart relaxation, while the average blood pressure represents a general estimate over the entire heart cycle.