Check if your blood pressure reading is normal, elevated, or hypertension. Calculate your reading and risk. Free BP calculator. Not medical advice.
Blood pressure is called the silent killer because hypertension has no symptoms yet significantly increases risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease. The 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines lowered the hypertension threshold to 130/80 mmHg — meaning many more Americans now qualify as hypertensive. Enter your reading to understand what your numbers mean.
Normal: systolic under 120 AND diastolic under 80. Elevated: systolic 120-129 AND diastolic under 80 — lifestyle changes recommended. Stage 1 hypertension: systolic 130-139 OR diastolic 80-89 — lifestyle changes, possibly medication. Stage 2 hypertension: systolic 140+ OR diastolic 90+ — medication likely needed. Hypertensive crisis: systolic 180+ OR diastolic 120+ — seek emergency care.
For accurate home readings: Rest seated quietly for 5 minutes before measuring. Sit with back supported, feet flat, arm at heart level. Do not talk during measurement. Avoid caffeine, exercise, and smoking 30 minutes before. Measure same time daily — morning before medication and evening before bed. Take 2-3 readings 1 minute apart and average them. Use validated upper arm cuff not wrist monitor.
Normal blood pressure is under 120/80 mmHg. The first number (systolic) measures pressure when heart beats. The second (diastolic) measures pressure between beats. The 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines define hypertension as 130/80 or above. The older threshold of 140/90 is still used by some guidelines for determining medication treatment.
Lifestyle interventions with strongest evidence: DASH diet (reduces systolic 8-14 mmHg), sodium reduction to under 1,500 mg/day (reduces 5-6 mmHg), weight loss — every 2.2 lbs lost reduces systolic 1 mmHg on average, regular aerobic exercise (reduces 5-8 mmHg), limiting alcohol to under 1-2 drinks per day, quitting smoking (immediate improvement in cardiovascular risk). Consistently applying multiple interventions can reduce BP as much as medication.
See a doctor if: single reading above 180/120 (hypertensive crisis — go to emergency room if accompanied by headache, vision changes, or chest pain), consistently above 130/80 over multiple readings, or if you have diabetes or kidney disease with readings above 130/80. Never adjust or stop blood pressure medication without medical guidance.
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