How to use it
- Sit quietly for five minutes, arm supported at heart level, feet flat, no talking. Take two readings a minute apart and use the average.
- Enter the systolic (top) and diastolic (bottom) numbers; add the pulse if your monitor shows it.
- Choose the guideline: 2017 ACC/AHA (used in the US) or 2024 ESC (used in Europe). The category, pulse pressure and MAP update immediately.
- Read the plain-language note on what each category means and when to see a clinician.
- Optionally save the reading to the log kept in your browser; the average of all saved readings and its category appear below the table.
Example
A reading of 134/86 mmHg. Under the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline 134 systolic falls in 130–139 and 86 diastolic in 80–89, so the category is hypertension stage 1. Under the 2024 ESC classification the same reading is elevated (120–139 or 70–89). Pulse pressure is 134 − 86 = 48 mmHg, mean arterial pressure 86 + 48 ÷ 3 = 102 mmHg. If three morning readings over a week average 128/82, the average is stage 1 under ACC/AHA and elevated under ESC – which is why the log matters more than any single reading.
Classifications, formulas and limits
Pulse pressure (PP) = systolic − diastolic
Mean arterial pressure (MAP) ≈ diastolic + (systolic − diastolic) ÷ 3
Category = the higher of the systolic and diastolic categories| 2017 ACC/AHA | Systolic | Diastolic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | below 120 | and | below 80 |
| Elevated | 120–129 | and | below 80 |
| Hypertension stage 1 | 130–139 | or | 80–89 |
| Hypertension stage 2 | 140 or higher | or | 90 or higher |
| Hypertensive crisis | above 180 | and/or | above 120 |
| 2024 ESC | Systolic | Diastolic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-elevated | below 120 | and | below 70 |
| Elevated | 120–139 | or | 70–89 |
| Hypertension | 140 or higher | or | 90 or higher |
Both schemes are for adults measured in a clinic setting; home and ambulatory readings have lower thresholds (ACC/AHA and ESC both treat a home average of 135/85 as equivalent to 140/90 in the office). The MAP formula is the usual resting approximation (diastole lasts about twice as long as systole); at high heart rates the true MAP is closer to the arithmetic mean. The pulse-pressure notes (30–60 mmHg usual; above 60 associated with arterial stiffness and higher risk in people over 60) follow the ESC/ESH guidance. The tool does not diagnose anything and does not account for age, pregnancy, diabetes, kidney disease or medication, all of which change targets.
Sources: Whelton et al. 2017 – ACC/AHA Guideline for High Blood Pressure in Adults, Hypertension, McEvoy et al. 2024 – ESC Guidelines for the management of elevated blood pressure and hypertension, Eur Heart J, American Heart Association – Understanding blood pressure readings, DeMers & Wachs – Physiology, Mean Arterial Pressure (StatPearls).
Categories are informational and based on guidelines for adults; they are not a diagnosis or medical advice. A diagnosis of hypertension needs repeated readings confirmed by a clinician. If a reading is above 180/120 with symptoms, call the emergency services.
Why the legacy age table was dropped
The previous version of this page listed a “minimum / optimal / maximum” blood pressure by age (for example 121/83 to 147/91 at 60+). No current guideline defines normal blood pressure by age in that way: both ACC/AHA 2017 and ESC 2024 use the same thresholds for all adults, with treatment targets individualised for frailty and tolerance rather than relaxed by age. The age table was therefore replaced with the two official classifications.
Questions
- Is 130/85 high blood pressure?
- Under the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline it is hypertension stage 1 (130–139 or 80–89). Under the 2024 ESC guideline it is "elevated" and not yet hypertension, which starts at 140/90. Either way the advice is the same: confirm with repeated readings and work on lifestyle factors.
- Which number matters more, systolic or diastolic?
- Both count, and the reading takes the higher category of the two. In people over about 50 the systolic value and the pulse pressure predict risk better; in younger adults a raised diastolic value is more common.
- How is the reading log stored?
- In your browser’s local storage on this device only. Nothing is sent to a server, and the "Copy link" button shares only the current numbers, never the log. Clearing site data or using another browser starts an empty log.