Wide pulse pressure: Note, I said pulse pressure, the difference between the systolic (top, heart contracting) and diastolic (bottom, heart relaxed, in between beats) pressure. However, widened pulse pressure is a very late sign, after atherosclerosis (dominant behavior) is extensive, body-wide and advanced. read more
1) In atherosclerosis there is a hardening of the arterial walls 2) A damaged aortic valve does not seal properly and allows blood to flow back into the ventricle during diastole. read more