What happens to the pulse pressure when someone has atherosclerosis?

See below: The pulse pressure is the systolic pressure minus the diastolic pressure. It often rises with aging. The problem is usually high systolic pressure which reflects decreased compliance and stiffening of the blood vessels (hardening of the arteries). This represents a risk for stroke, heart attack and congestive heart failure. The risk can be decreased by lowering the blood pressure carefully.

Variable: The pulse pressure is the difference between the systolic and diastolic pressures. It can increase as a result of severe arterial atherosclerosis, but can also increase due to disease of the valves, particularly leaking of the aortic or mitral valves, which can cause heart enlargement. However, a normal pulse pressure does not rule out severe atherosclerosis.