Blood Pressure (BP) Readings: What is Normal? What is High?
A healthy blood pressure reading should be lower than 120/80 mmHg. Normal blood pressure is less than 120 mmHg systolic and 80 mmHg diastolic (see blood pressure chart below), and may vary from 90/60mmHg to 120/80mmHg in a healthy young woman.A blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or higher indicates high blood pressure (hypertension).
Notes:
- When systolic and diastolic blood pressures fall into different categories, the higher category should be used to classify blood pressure level. For example, 160/80 mmHg would be stage 2 hypertension (high blood pressure).
- *Isolated systolic hypertension is graded according to the same level of systolic BP.
"Your BP (blood pressure) doesn’t stay constant throughout the day. It is lowest when you’re sleeping, and rises when you get up and start moving about. It can also go up when you are excited, nervous or physically active," shares Assistant Professor Calvin Chin, Senior Consultant from the Department of Cardiology at National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS), a member of the SingHealth group.
For more tips on how to take proper blood pressure measurement & tips, visit High Blood Pressure: Understanding Blood Pressure Readings - HealthXChange
