Your blood pressure reading measures two forces: systolic pressure and diastolic pressure.

• Systolic pressure is your blood pressure when your heart beats, pumping blood into your arteries.
• Diastolic pressure is your blood pressure when your heart rests between beats.

To figure out your systolic and diastolic numbers, your doctor will take your blood pressure 2 to 3 times on at least 2 different occasions.



The American Heart Association (AHA) uses these categories for blood pressure:

• Normal: systolic less than 120 AND diastolic less than 80
• Elevated: systolic 120 to 129 AND diastolic less than 80
• High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Stage 1: systolic 130 to 139 OR diastolic 80 to 90
• High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Stage 2: systolic 140 or higher OR diastolic 90 or higher
• Hypertensive Crisis*: systolic higher than 180 AND/OR diastolic higher than 120

* Contact Doctor Immediately