The bottom number of a blood pressure reading represents which measurement?

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Blood pressure has two numbers that show the pressure in the arteries at different parts of the heartbeat. The top number is systolic pressure, the peak pressure when the heart contracts. The bottom number is diastolic pressure, the pressure in the arteries when the heart muscle relaxes between beats. This lower value reflects the minimum arterial pressure during the resting phase of the heartbeat. Pulse and respiratory rate are separate vital signs—pulse is the heart rate, and respiratory rate is breaths per minute—so they are not the numbers shown in a blood pressure reading. For example, in a reading like 120/80 mmHg, 80 represents the diastolic pressure.