Systolic blood pressure is the peak arterial BP attained during ventricular contraction.

• A. Minimum arterial BP during relaxation
• B. Peak arterial BP during contraction
• C. The average arterial BP during the day
• D. The pulse pressure

Answer: (B)

Systolic blood pressure is the peak arterial pressure that occurs during ventricular contraction. When the heart contracts (systole), it ejects blood into the aorta and larger arteries, momentarily raising arterial pressure to its highest point in the cycle. After contraction ends, the heart relaxes (diastole) and arterial pressure falls to a minimum. That minimum is diastolic pressure. The difference between the two is pulse pressure, and the average pressure over the cycle—important for tissue perfusion—is the mean arterial pressure, often estimated as diastolic pressure plus about one-third of the pulse pressure. So, the statement captures the defining moment of systolic pressure: the peak pressure during the heart’s contraction.