What are the two readings involved in measuring blood pressure?

To measure blood pressure, healthcare professionals use two specific readings known as systolic and diastolic. The systolic reading represents the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats and pumps blood. It is the higher of the two measurements and is recorded first. In contrast, the diastolic reading reflects the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats and is the lower of the two measurements, recorded second.

Together, these two readings provide critical information about cardiovascular health. For instance, a typical reading might be expressed as "120 over 80," with 120 being the systolic pressure and 80 being the diastolic pressure. This measurement helps clinicians assess blood pressure levels and determine whether they fall within a normal range or indicate conditions such as hypertension. The other options—normal and abnormal, resting and active, high and low—do not specifically refer to the physiological metrics used to represent blood pressure values in clinical assessments.