During ventricular systole, the stroke volume ejected by the ventricle results in some forward capillary flow, but most of the ejected volume is stored in the elastic arteries.

During ventricular diastole, the elastic recoil of the arterial walls maintains capillary flow through the remainder of the cardiac cycle. Accordingly, pulse pressure is proportional to stroke volume, and diastolic pressure increases with peripheral resistance, heart rate, and vascular capacitance, all of which reduce the diastolic runoff of the ejected volume.¹