Afterload

Afterload is the pressure that the heart must work against to eject blood during systole (ventricular contraction). Afterload is proportional to the average arterial pressure.[1] As aortic and pulmonary pressures increase, the afterload increases on the left and right ventricles respectively. Afterload changes to adapt to the continually changing demands on an animal's cardiovascular system.[1] Afterload is proportional to mean systolic blood pressure and is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).

  1. ^ a b Mohrman, David E. (2018). Cardiovascular Physiology, 9e. McGraw-Hill Education LLC. ISBN 9781260026115. OCLC 1055827575.
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