Where is blood pressure highest in the body?

Blood pressure is highest in the arteries closest to the heart, particularly the aorta, which is the main artery that carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The pressure in the aorta is at its peak during systole, the phase of the heartbeat when the heart contracts and pumps blood out. Systolic blood pressure is typically measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and is usually expressed as the systolic pressure over the diastolic pressure, such as "120/80 mm Hg" for a healthy adult.