What does blood pressure measure?

Blood pressure is primarily a measure of how well the heart is working, specifically indicating the force of the blood against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps. This measurement reflects the heart's ability to push blood throughout the body and is crucial for assessing overall cardiovascular health. When blood pressure is taken, it provides two readings: systolic pressure (the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats) and diastolic pressure (the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats). These readings give insight into the heart's efficiency in delivering blood and oxygen to vital organs and tissues, which is essential for bodily functions.

While heart rate efficiency and the strength of heart contractions may relate to overall cardiovascular health, they do not represent the measurement of blood pressure directly. Similarly, while the amount of blood in circulation can influence blood pressure, blood pressure itself does not measure blood volume directly. Thus, the most accurate understanding of blood pressure is its relation to the heart's functioning as it pumps blood through the circulatory system.