Word parts
What it means
Diastolic blood pressure is the lower number in a blood pressure reading, such as the 80 in 120/80. It is the pressure in the arteries while the heart rests between beats. The heart muscle also gets most of its own blood supply during diastole. The opposite phase, when the heart squeezes, is systolic.
For the nurse
Record both numbers of a blood pressure. A diastolic pressure of 80 mm Hg or more is in the high range for adults.
In a chart
"BP 148/96; diastolic above goal, provider notified."
At a glance
| Spanish | diastólico |
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Related terms
hypertension
Blood pressure that stays higher than normal, at or above 130/80 mm Hg by current US guidelines.
blood pressure
The force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries, written as systolic over diastolic in mm Hg.
-ic
A word ending that means relating to or belonging to.