Understanding Blood Pressure Readings
Quick Facts
- High blood pressure can lead to serious health problems.
- It鈥檚 important to have your blood pressure measured and to understand what your numbers mean.
What do your blood pressure numbers mean?
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, can lead to serious health problems including heart attack or stroke. Measuring your blood pressure is the only way to know if you have it. Controlling high blood pressure can help prevent major health problems.
Blood Pressure Categories
| BLOOD PRESSURE CATEGORY | SYSTOLIC mm Hg (top/upper number) | and/or | DIASTOLIC mm Hg (bottom/lower number) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NORMAL | LESS THAN 120 | and | LESS THAN 80 |
| ELEVATED | 120 – 129 | and | LESS THAN 80 |
| STAGE 1 HYPERTENSION (High Blood Pressure) | 130 – 139 | or | 80 – 89 |
| STAGE 2 HYPERTENSION (High Blood Pressure) | 140 OR HIGHER | or | 90 OR HIGHER |
| SEVERE HYPERTENSION (If you don’t have symptoms*, call your health care professional) | HIGHER THAN 180 | and/or | HIGHER THAN 120 |
| HYPERTENSIVE EMERGENCY (If you have any of these symptoms*, call 911) | HIGHER THAN 180 | and/or | HIGHER THAN 120 |
| *symptoms: chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, numbness, weakness, change in vision, or difficulty speaking | |||
Note: Only a doctor or other medical professional can confirm a high blood pressure diagnosis. They also can check if your blood pressure is too low.
View or print the Blood Pressure Categories chart
Take Control of Your Blood Pressure
Is your blood pressure in a healthy range? The best way to know is to get it checked.
Then, enter your numbers into this calculator to see which blood pressure category the reading is in.
Systolic Pressure
Diastolic Pressure
Normal Blood Pressure
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Elevated Blood Pressure
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This blood pressure reading is in the elevated range. Unless steps are taken to control it, elevated blood pressure can turn into high blood pressure.
It’s important to recheck your blood pressure with your health care team. They can confirm if this reading is within your target blood pressure range and discuss any steps you might need to take to keep it in a healthy range. Lifestyle changes can help.
High Blood Pressure Stage 1
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High Blood Pressure Stage 2
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Severe Hypertension
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This blood pressure reading is in the severe hypertension range.
- Wait at least 1 minute.
- Take your blood pressure again.
If your readings are still high, call your health care professional.
If your blood pressure is higher than 180 and/or 120 mm Hg and you have any of these symptoms, call 911: chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, numbness, weakness, change in vision or difficulty speaking.
Controlling blood pressure
If your blood pressure is in the normal range, stick with heart-healthy habits such as following a balanced diet and getting regular exercise.
If your blood pressure is elevated, stick with or adopt heart-healthy habits such as following a balanced diet and getting regular exercise. The goal is to prevent reaching hypertension Stage 1.
In hypertension Stage 1, your health care professional should prescribe lifestyle changes. They may consider adding medication based on your risk of heart disease or stroke and should add medication if you have other conditions such as diabetes, heart failure and kidney disease.
In hypertension Stage 2, your health care professional should prescribe blood pressure medication and lifestyle changes.
In severe hypertension, if your blood pressure is higher than 180/120 mm Hg:
- Wait 1 minute.
- Take your blood pressure again.
f the second reading is just as high, check for these symptoms:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Back pain
- Numbness
- Weakness
- Change in vision
- Difficulty speaking
If you do not have any of these symptoms or any other new and concerning symptoms, you likely have severe hypertension. You should contact your health care professional. Your health care professional may start or adjust blood pressure medication.
In hypertensive emergency, call 911 if your blood pressure is higher than 180/120 mm Hg and you are experiencing symptoms that may include:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Back pain
- Numbness
- Weakness
- Change in vision
- Difficulty speaking
Your blood pressure numbers and what they mean
Your blood pressure is recorded as two numbers:
- Systolic blood pressure is the first (top/upper) number. It measures the pressure your blood is pushing against your artery walls when the heart beats.
- Diastolic blood pressure is the second (bottom/lower) number. It measures the pressure your blood is pushing against your artery walls while the heart muscle rests between beats.
Which number is more important?
A higher systolic or diastolic reading may be used to diagnose high blood pressure. But the systolic blood pressure tells more about risk factors for heart disease for people over 50. As people get older, their systolic blood pressure usually goes up because:
- Large arteries become stiffer
- There is more plaque buildup over time
- Higher rates of heart and blood vessel diseases
Read more about high blood pressure.
