Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and consists of two numbers, systolic and diastolic. A doctor uses these figures to categorize high blood pressure into stages.
Blood pressure measures the total amount of forceyour blood pushes against the walls of your arteries.
It measures
two differentTrusted Source
pressures and is presented as two figures, one over the other:
- Systolic (top):This measures the pressure of your blood on the artery walls as your heart beats.
- Diastolic (bottom):This measures the pressure when your heart rests between beats.
Keep reading to learn more about how to read and interpret a blood pressure chart, as well as how to manage your blood pressure.
Know your blood pressure numbers
To manage your blood pressure, it’s important to know which blood pressure numbers are ideal and which ones are cause for concern.
High blood pressure (hypertension)
The table below outlines the ranges for healthy, elevated, or high blood pressure, as per the
American Heart Association (AHA) Trusted Source
When looking at these numbers, notice that only one of them needs to be too high to put you in a hypertensive category.
For example, if your blood pressure is 119/81, you’d be considered to have stage 1 hypertension. If your blood pressure is 138/92, you’d be considered to have stage 2 hypertension.
Learn more about what is considered high blood pressure.
Low blood pressure (hypotension)
In general, meeting the criteria for hypotensionhas more to do with symptoms and specific situations than with exact numbers.
However, the
AHATrusted Source
and the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS)consider people hypotensive if their blood pressure falls within this range:
| Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | Blood pressure category |
| 90 or below | and 60 or below | Hypotension |
Blood pressure levels for children
Blood pressure levels are different for childrenthan they are for adults. Children’s blood pressure targets are determined by several factors, like their age, sex, and height.
Talk with a pediatrician if you’re concerned about your child’s blood pressure. They can walk you through the charts and help you understand your child’s blood pressure.
