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Diastolic pressure is the pressure of blood against the artery
walls between heartbeats, when the heart is relaxed and filling with blood. It
is the second or lower number in a blood pressure reading.
For example, if the diastolic pressure is 80 millimeters of mercury
(mm Hg) and the systolic pressure is 120 mm Hg, the blood pressure is recorded
as 120/80 and read as "120 over 80."
Current as of:
March 12, 2014
E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology
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