Narrow pulse pressure is best described as what?

• A. Large difference between systolic and diastolic BP
• B. Small difference between systolic and diastolic BP
• C. No difference between systolic and diastolic BP
• D. High pulse rate with normal blood pressure

Answer: (B)

Pulse pressure is the difference between the systolic and diastolic blood pressures. A narrow pulse pressure means that difference is small, meaning the top number isn’t much higher than the bottom number. This can occur when stroke volume is low or in low-volume states, so the heart doesn’t eject much blood per beat and the pressures don’t diverge much. In contrast, a wide pulse pressure happens with high stroke volume or stiff arteries. The other option describing a high pulse rate with normal BP does not address the pressure difference at all, so it isn’t describing pulse pressure.