In humans, blood pressure is usually measured indirectly with a special cuff over the brachial artery (in the arm) or the femoral artery (in the leg). There are two pressures measured: (1) the systolic pressure (the higher pressure and the first number recorded), which is the force that blood exerts on the artery walls as the heart contracts to pump the blood to the peripheral organs and tissues, and (2) the diastolic pressure (the lower pressure and the second number recorded), which is residual pressure exerted on the arteries as the heart relaxes between beats. In healthy individuals, systolic pressure is normally between 90 and 120 millimetres of mercury (mmHg).
