Thursday 10 October 2013

Blood pressure chart

Blood pressure chart

Use the blood pressure chart below to see what your blood pressure means. The blood pressure chart is suitable for adults of any age. (The level for high blood pressure does not change with age.)
Blood pressure readings have two numbers, for example 140/90mmHg.
The top number is your systolic blood pressure. (The highest pressure when your heart beats and pushes the blood round your body.) The bottom one is your diastolic blood pressure. (The lowest pressure when your heart relaxes between beats.)

The blood pressure chart below shows ranges of high, low and healthy blood pressure readings.

Blood pressure chart for adults

Using this blood pressure chart: To work out what your blood pressure readings mean, just find your top number (systolic) on the left side of the blood pressure chart and read across, and your bottom number (diastolic) on the bottom of the blood pressure chart. Where the two meet is your blood pressure.

What blood pressure readings mean

As you can see from the blood pressure chart, only one of the numbers has to be higher or lower than it should be to count as either high blood pressure or low blood pressure:
So:
  • if your top number is 140 or more - then you may have high blood pressure, regardless of your bottom number.
  • if your bottom number is 90 or more - then you may have high blood pressure, regardless your top number.
  • if your top number is 90 or less - then you may have low blood pressure, regardless of your bottom number.
  • if your bottom number is 60 or less - then you may have low blood pressure, regardless of your top number.


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