Various embodiments include methods and devices for measuring blood pressure. Various embodiments may include receiving, from one or more arterial measurement sensors, a pulse waveform representing arterial pressure as a function of time for each pulse of a series of blood pressure pulses. The series of blood pressure pulses may be correlated to arterial distension at a measurement location of the arterial measurement sensors on a subject's body. One or more elevations of the measurement location may be received from one or more elevation sensors. At least one pulse in the series of pulses may be identified that represents a transitional pulse based on one or more characteristics of the at least one pulse. A diastolic blood pressure may be determined based on the at least one identified transitional pulse and elevation measurements that correspond to the one identified pulse.
