ABSTRACT
Pulse pressure is peak arterial systolic blood pressure minus arterial diastolic blood pressure. Arterial blood pressure rises to a peak, the systolic pressure, and then falls to a minimum, the diastolic pressure. Left ventricular systolic ejection thrusts blood into the blood-filled aorta. The left ventricular volume decreases and the proximal aorta swells. The aorta and its branches constitute a confined system with the aortic valve at its proximal end and peripheral vascular resistance and peripheral runoff at the other end. The left ventricular ejection of blood into the aorta is rapid during the initial part of ejection. The increase of aortic blood pressure after the aortic valve opens results from early rapid left ventricular ejection. About 80% of the stroke volume is ejected during early rapid ejection. Aortic systolic, pulse, and mean blood pressures increase with an increase in stroke volume.
