What is the most common cause of a narrow (low) pulse pressure?

A narrow pulse pressure is defined as a small difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings. The most common cause of this phenomenon is a drop in left ventricular stroke volume, which refers to a decrease in the amount of blood the left ventricle of the heart pumps out with each contraction.

When stroke volume decreases, this leads to lower systolic blood pressure because less blood is being ejected into the aorta during systole. Conversely, diastolic pressure may remain relatively stable or even increase slightly due to various compensatory mechanisms in the body, such as increased vascular resistance. The result is a reduced pulse pressure, characterized by a low differential between systolic and diastolic pressures. This is particularly evident in conditions where the heart is unable to pump effectively, such as in heart failure or significant myocardial infarction.

Other options, while they may impact circulation and hemodynamics, do not typically account for a low pulse pressure in the same direct way as a drop in left ventricular stroke volume. Severe dehydration can lead to hypovolemia but may not always present with a narrow pulse pressure. Increased heart rate can occur in various contexts but does not specifically point to a reduced stroke volume. Hypovolemic shock indeed leads to