Most medical appointments start with a health care worker taking a blood pressure reading.
Do you know what those numbers mean?
The top number is called the systolic. It’s the pressure of blood as it’s pumped out of your heart. The bottom number is called the diastolic. It represents the pressure during the time your heart is relaxed and fills up for the next beat.
Current guidelines consider a blood pressure reading of 120/80 to be normal.
An elevated BP reading shows a systolic number between 120 and 129 and a diastolic number that’s less than 80.
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, has two stages:
Stage 1: When the systolic number is between 130 and 139 or the diastolic number is between 80 and 89.
Stage 2: When the systolic number is 140 or higher or the diastolic number is 90 or higher.
A systolic number higher than 180 and/or a diastolic number higher than 120 is considered a hypertensive crisis. “Over time, higher-than-normal blood pressure can damage blood vessels and vital organs,” Penn Medicine says. “Your doctor can determine the most appropriate way to both prevent and manage high blood pressure.”
