North Carolina Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) State Practice Exam

How is diastolic blood pressure defined?

1. Pressure during heart contraction

2. Pressure when the heart is relaxed

3. Average blood pressure throughout the day

4. Pressure in the veins only

The correct answer is: Pressure when the heart is relaxed

Diastolic blood pressure refers specifically to the pressure in the arteries when the heart is in a state of relaxation between beats. This measurement occurs at the end of the heart’s relaxation phase, known as diastole, and represents the lowest pressure at which blood is present in the arteries. Understanding diastolic pressure is crucial for assessing cardiovascular health, as it can provide insights into the heart's ability to adequately fill with blood and the systemic vascular resistance throughout the circulatory system. This value, together with systolic blood pressure (the pressure during heart contraction), gives a fuller picture of a person's blood pressure profile, which is essential for identifying potential health issues such as hypertension. The other definitions are specific to different cardiac phases or phenomena. For example, the pressure during heart contraction pertains to systolic blood pressure, average blood pressure throughout the day would refer to a different measurement, and pressure in the veins pertains to venous pressure rather than arterial.