Enter your blood pressure reading to see your category based on American Heart Association guidelines.
Blood pressure is measured in two numbers: systolic (the top number, pressure when your heart beats) and diastolic (the bottom number, pressure between beats). A reading of 120/80 mmHg means 120 systolic and 80 diastolic. Blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day based on activity, stress, caffeine, medication, and body position. A single reading is less meaningful than the trend over multiple measurements taken under consistent conditions.
Enter your systolic and diastolic readings. The calculator categorizes your blood pressure according to the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology 2017 guidelines and provides interpretation. You can enter multiple readings to see the average, which is more clinically meaningful than any single reading.
Normal: Below 120/80. Elevated: Systolic 120-129 and diastolic below 80. Hypertension Stage 1: Systolic 130-139 or diastolic 80-89. Hypertension Stage 2: Systolic 140+ or diastolic 90+. Hypertensive Crisis: Systolic above 180 and/or diastolic above 120, requiring immediate medical attention. Prior to the 2017 guideline update, hypertension was defined as 140/90 or higher. The lower 130/80 threshold means more people are now classified as hypertensive, but this reflects research showing that cardiovascular risk begins increasing above 120/80.
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and expressed as two numbers: systolic (pressure during heartbeats) over diastolic (pressure between heartbeats). The American Heart Association (AHA) updated its guidelines in 2017, lowering the threshold for hypertension from 140/90 to 130/80 mmHg. Current categories are: Normal (below 120/80), Elevated (120-129 / below 80), Stage 1 Hypertension (130-139 / 80-89), Stage 2 Hypertension (140+ / 90+), and Hypertensive Crisis (above 180/120, requiring immediate medical attention).
Approximately 47% of U.S. adults have hypertension under the 2017 guidelines. Hypertension is called the "silent killer" because it typically produces no symptoms until it causes organ damage. Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases risk of heart attack (by 2-3x), stroke (by 4-6x), kidney disease, vision loss, and dementia. Risk factors include family history, age (risk increases after 45 for men and 55 for women), high sodium intake, physical inactivity, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, and chronic stress.
For accurate home readings, the AHA recommends: sitting quietly for 5 minutes before measuring, using a validated upper-arm cuff (wrist monitors are less accurate), placing the cuff on bare skin at heart level, taking two readings 1 minute apart and averaging them, and measuring at the same time each day. Avoid caffeine, exercise, and smoking for 30 minutes before measurement. White coat hypertension (elevated readings only in medical settings) affects 15-30% of people, which is why home monitoring provides a more accurate picture of true blood pressure. The Heart Rate Calculator tracks another key cardiovascular metric.
Blood pressure has two numbers: systolic (the top number, pressure when your heart beats) and diastolic (the bottom number, pressure between beats). Normal is below 120/80. Elevated is 120-129 systolic with diastolic below 80. Stage 1 hypertension starts at 130/80. Stage 2 is 140/90 or higher. A hypertensive crisis is anything above 180/120 and requires immediate medical attention.
A single reading doesn't tell the whole story. Blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day based on activity, stress, caffeine, and hydration. Clinical diagnosis requires elevated readings on multiple occasions. This calculator categorizes your reading and explains what each range means. For a comprehensive look at your lab values, see our blood test results guide.