Diastole and systole refer to when the heart muscles relax and contract. The balance between diastolic and systolic pressure determines a person’s blood pressure. A blood pressure reading displays ...

The first heart sound, or S1, is the "lub" of a normal heartbeat. It's a high-pitched sound that occurs at the beginning of systole—when the heart pumps blood out of the heart into the lungs or body.

Murmurs are described by their timing in the cardiac cycle, intensity, shape, pitch, location, radiation and response to dynamic maneuvers. Using the aforementioned criteria, a clinician can ...