Systolic Blood Pressure

Systolic Blood Pressure is the top number in a blood pressure reading. It indicates the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats. Each time your heart beats, it pumps blood into your arteries (the blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to the tissues and organs in your body). A blood pressure measurement is a test measuring the force (pressure) in your arteries as your heart pumps. Blood pressure is measured as two numbers: systolic and diastolic blood pressure.