Pulse pressure is defined as:

Pulse pressure is defined as:

• A. The sum of systolic and diastolic pressures.
• B. The average of systolic and diastolic pressures.
• C. The difference between systolic and diastolic pressure readings.
• D. The difference between heart rate and diastolic pressure.

Answer: (C)

Pulse pressure is the difference between the systolic and diastolic pressures in the arteries. It’s found by subtracting diastolic from systolic, so a reading like 120/80 gives a pulse pressure of about 40 mmHg. This value reflects the stretch of the arterial walls with each heartbeat and depends on stroke volume and arterial compliance. A wider pulse pressure suggests stiffer arteries or higher stroke volume, while a narrow pulse pressure can indicate reduced stroke volume or higher peripheral resistance. The other options don’t describe pulse pressure: summing the pressures isn’t the pulsatile force, averaging them gives a mid-point rather than the actual pressure difference, and comparing heart rate to diastolic pressure isn’t related to pulse pressure.

Pulse pressure is the difference between the systolic and diastolic pressures in the arteries. It’s found by subtracting diastolic from systolic, so a reading like 120/80 gives a pulse pressure of about 40 mmHg. This value reflects the stretch of the arterial walls with each heartbeat and depends on stroke volume and arterial compliance. A wider pulse pressure suggests stiffer arteries or higher stroke volume, while a narrow pulse pressure can indicate reduced stroke volume or higher peripheral resistance. The other options don’t describe pulse pressure: summing the pressures isn’t the pulsatile force, averaging them gives a mid-point rather than the actual pressure difference, and comparing heart rate to diastolic pressure isn’t related to pulse pressure.