USMLE why does diastolic pressure decrease with arteriosclerosis?

[usmle210416]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Can someone please explain why does diastolic pressure decrease with arteriosclerosis?

 

[wanderingorion]

I think your arteries stretch as they fill with blood in the high pressures of systole, and then contract their smooth muscle within their tunica media to maintain diastolic BP between heartbeats. With arteriosclerosis, they become less elastic, and cannot store as much volume, so diastolic BP is less.

 

[usmle210416]

I think your arteries stretch as they fill with blood in the high pressures of systole, and then contract their smooth muscle within their tunica media to maintain diastolic BP between heartbeats. With arteriosclerosis, they become less elastic, and cannot store as much volume, so diastolic BP is less.

I see, thanks a lot