Understanding My Blood Pressure Test
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). The classifications in the table below are for people who aren't taking antihypertensive (blood pressure-lowering) drugs and aren't acutely ill.
When a person's systolic and diastolic pressures fall into different categories, the higher category is used to classify the blood pressure status. Diagnosing
high blood pressure is based on the average of two or more readings taken at each of two or more visits after an initial screening.
Classification of Blood Pressure
for Adults Age 18 Years and Older
||SYSTOLIC (mm Hg)
||less than 120
||less than 80
||120 - 139
||80 - 89
|Hypertension: Stage 1
||140 - 159
||90 - 99
|Hypertension: Stage 2
||160 or higher
||100 or higher
*Unusually low readings should be evaluated for clinical significance.
Above content provided by The American Heart Association in partnership with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. For advice about your medical care, consult your doctor.
Posted September 2010