Which number in a blood pressure reading represents the force of blood against artery walls when the heart beats?

In a blood pressure reading, the systolic number specifically represents the force of blood against artery walls when the heart beats. This reading occurs during the contraction phase of the heart, known as systole, when the heart muscles contract and pump blood into the arteries. The amount of pressure recorded at this point is crucial for understanding cardiovascular health, as elevated systolic pressure can indicate issues such as hypertension or increased cardiovascular risk.

Diastolic pressure, on the other hand, measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats. Mean arterial pressure reflects the average blood pressure in a person's arteries during one cardiac cycle, while pulse pressure is calculated as the difference between the systolic and diastolic pressures. These parameters are important in their own right, but they do not specifically represent the force exerted during heart contractions like the systolic pressure does.