Blood pressure chart: What your reading means

By Mayo Clinic Staff

High blood pressure is called hypertension. This blood pressure chart can help you figure out if your blood pressure is at a healthy level. It also can help you understand if you need to take some steps to improve your numbers.

Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). A blood pressure reading has two numbers.

  • Top number, called systolic pressure. The top number measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats.
  • Bottom number, called diastolic pressure. The bottom number measures the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats.

The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association divide blood pressure into four general categories. Ideal blood pressure is categorized as normal. Increased blood pressure may be categorized as elevated, stage 1 or stage 2 depending on the specific numbers.

A diagnosis of high blood pressure is usually based on the average of two or more readings taken on separate visits. The first time your blood pressure is checked, it should be measured in both arms to see if there is a difference. After that, the arm with the higher reading should be used. An accurate reading is important. It helps your healthcare team decide what kind of treatment you may need, if any.

Here's a look at the four blood pressure categories and what they mean for you. If your top and bottom numbers fall into two different categories, your correct blood pressure category is the higher category. For example, if your blood pressure reading is 125/85 mm Hg, you have stage 1 hypertension.

Top number (systolic) in mm Hg And/or Bottom number (diastolic) in mm Hg Blood pressure category* What to do†

Sources: American College of Cardiology; American Heart Association

*Ranges may be lower for children and teenagers. Talk to your child's care provider if you're concerned that your child has high blood pressure.

†These recommendations address high blood pressure as a single health condition. If you also have heart disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease or certain other conditions, you may need to treat your blood pressure more aggressively.

Below 120 and Below 80 Normal blood pressure Maintain or adopt a healthy lifestyle.
120 to 129 and Below 80 Elevated blood pressure Maintain or adopt a healthy lifestyle.
130 to 139 or 80 to 89 Stage 1 hypertension Maintain or adopt a healthy lifestyle. Talk to a healthcare professional about taking one or more medicines.
140 or higher or 90 or higher Stage 2 hypertension Maintain or adopt a healthy lifestyle. Talk to a healthcare professional about taking more than one medicine.

A blood pressure measurement over 180/120 mm Hg is called a hypertensive emergency or crisis. Seek emergency medical help for anyone with these blood pressure numbers.

Your healthcare team can tell you what the best blood pressure goal is for you.

If your blood pressure is OK, following a healthy lifestyle may prevent or delay high blood pressure or other health problems.

If your blood pressure is high, you may need lifestyle changes and medicines to control it and reduce the risk of complications, such as heart attacks and strokes.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

Feb. 28, 2024 See more In-depth

See also

  1. Medication-free hypertension control
  2. Alcohol: Does it affect blood pressure?
  3. Alpha blockers
  4. Amputation and diabetes
  5. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
  6. Angiotensin II receptor blockers
  7. Anxiety: A cause of high blood pressure?
  8. Arteriosclerosis / atherosclerosis
  9. Artificial sweeteners: Any effect on blood sugar?
  10. AskMayoMom Pediatric Urology
  11. Beta blockers
  12. Beta blockers: Do they cause weight gain?
  13. Beta blockers: How do they affect exercise?
  14. Birth control pill FAQ
  15. Blood glucose meters
  16. Blood glucose monitors
  17. Blood pressure: Can it be higher in one arm?
  18. Blood pressure cuff: Does size matter?
  19. Blood pressure: Does it have a daily pattern?
  20. Blood pressure: Is it affected by cold weather?
  21. Blood pressure medication: Still necessary if I lose weight?
  22. Blood pressure medications: Can they raise my triglycerides?
  23. Blood pressure readings: Why higher at home?
  24. Blood pressure test
  25. Blood pressure tip: Get more potassium
  26. Blood sugar levels can fluctuate for many reasons
  27. Blood sugar testing: Why, when and how
  28. Bone and joint problems associated with diabetes
  29. How kidneys work
  30. Bump on the head: When is it a serious head injury?
  31. Caffeine and hypertension
  32. Calcium channel blockers
  33. Calcium supplements: Do they interfere with blood pressure drugs?
  34. Can whole-grain foods lower blood pressure?
  35. Central-acting agents
  36. Choosing blood pressure medicines
  37. Chronic daily headaches
  38. Chronic kidney disease
  39. Chronic kidney disease: Is a clinical trial right for me?
  40. Coarctation of the aorta
  41. COVID-19: Who's at higher risk of serious symptoms?
  42. Cushing syndrome
  43. DASH diet
  44. DASH diet: Recommended servings
  45. Sample DASH menus
  46. Diabetes
  47. Diabetes and depression: Coping with the two conditions
  48. Diabetes and exercise: When to monitor your blood sugar
  49. Diabetes and heat
  50. 10 ways to avoid diabetes complications
  51. Diabetes diet: Should I avoid sweet fruits?
  52. Diabetes diet: Create your healthy-eating plan
  53. Diabetes foods: Can I substitute honey for sugar?
  54. Diabetes and liver
  55. Diabetes management: How lifestyle, daily routine affect blood sugar
  56. Diabetes symptoms
  57. Diabetes treatment: Can cinnamon lower blood sugar?
  58. Using insulin
  59. Diuretics
  60. Diuretics: A cause of low potassium?
  61. Diuretics: Cause of gout?
  62. Dizziness
  63. Do infrared saunas have any health benefits?
  64. Drug addiction (substance use disorder)
  65. Eating right for chronic kidney disease
  66. High blood pressure and exercise
  67. Fibromuscular dysplasia
  68. Free blood pressure machines: Are they accurate?
  69. Home blood pressure monitoring
  70. Glomerulonephritis
  71. Glycemic index: A helpful tool for diabetes?
  72. Guillain-Barre syndrome
  73. Headaches and hormones
  74. Headaches: Treatment depends on your diagnosis and symptoms
  75. Herbal supplements and heart drugs
  76. High blood pressure (hypertension)
  77. High blood pressure and cold remedies: Which are safe?
  78. High blood pressure and sex
  79. High blood pressure dangers
  80. How does IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease) cause kidney damage?
  81. How opioid use disorder occurs
  82. How to tell if a loved one is abusing opioids
  83. What is hypertension? A Mayo Clinic expert explains.
  84. Hypertension FAQs
  85. Hypertensive crisis: What are the symptoms?
  86. Hypothermia
  87. I have IgA nephrology. Will I need a kidney transplant?
  88. IgA nephropathy (Berger disease)
  89. Insulin and weight gain
  90. Intracranial hematoma
  91. Isolated systolic hypertension: A health concern?
  92. What is kidney disease? An expert explains
  93. Kidney disease FAQs
  94. Kratom for opioid withdrawal
  95. L-arginine: Does it lower blood pressure?
  96. Late-night eating: OK if you have diabetes?
  97. Lead poisoning
  98. Living with IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease) and C3G
  99. Low-phosphorus diet: Helpful for kidney disease?
  100. Medications and supplements that can raise your blood pressure
  101. Menopause and high blood pressure: What's the connection?
  102. Molar pregnancy
  103. MRI: Is gadolinium safe for people with kidney problems?
  104. New Test for Preeclampsia
  105. Nighttime headaches: Relief
  106. Nosebleeds
  107. Obstructive sleep apnea
  108. Obstructive Sleep Apnea
  109. Opioid stewardship: What is it?
  110. Pain Management
  111. Pheochromocytoma
  112. Picnic Problems: High Sodium
  113. Pituitary tumors
  114. Polycystic kidney disease
  115. Polypill: Does it treat heart disease?
  116. Poppy seed tea: Beneficial or dangerous?
  117. Porphyria
  118. Postpartum preeclampsia
  119. Preeclampsia
  120. Prescription drug abuse
  121. Primary aldosteronism
  122. Pulse pressure: An indicator of heart health?
  123. Mayo Clinic Minute: Rattlesnakes, scorpions and other desert dangers
  124. Reactive hypoglycemia: What can I do?
  125. Renal diet for vegetarians
  126. Resperate: Can it help reduce blood pressure?
  127. Scorpion sting
  128. Secondary hypertension
  129. Serotonin syndrome
  130. Sleep deprivation: A cause of high blood pressure?
  131. Sleep tips
  132. Snoring
  133. Sodium
  134. Spider bites
  135. Stress and high blood pressure
  136. Symptom Checker
  137. Takayasu's arteritis
  138. Tapering off opioids: When and how
  139. Tetanus
  140. Tetanus shots: Is it risky to receive 'extra' boosters?
  141. The dawn phenomenon: What can you do?
  142. Understanding complement 3 glomerulopathy (C3G)
  143. Understanding IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease)
  144. Vasodilators
  145. Vegetarian diet: Can it help me control my diabetes?
  146. Vesicoureteral reflux
  147. Video: Heart and circulatory system
  148. How to measure blood pressure using a manual monitor
  149. How to measure blood pressure using an automatic monitor
  150. Obstructive sleep apnea: What happens?
  151. What is blood pressure?
  152. Can a lack of vitamin D cause high blood pressure?
  153. What are opioids and why are they dangerous?
  154. White coat hypertension
  155. Wrist blood pressure monitors: Are they accurate?
  156. Xylazine
  157. Effectively managing chronic kidney disease