Blood Pressure Calculator
Classify your blood pressure reading and understand cardiovascular risk.
Enter Your Reading
120/80mmHg
Hypertension Stage 1
You have Stage 1 hypertension. Lifestyle changes are strongly recommended, and medication may be considered depending on your overall cardiovascular risk.
Pulse Pressure
40mmHg
Normal— Normal: 40–60 mmHg
Mean Arterial Pressure
93mmHg
Normal— Normal: 70–100 mmHg
Recommendations
- Reduce sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day
- Increase physical activity — aim for 30 minutes most days
- Maintain or work toward a healthy body weight
- Limit alcohol to no more than 1–2 drinks per day
- Practice stress management: meditation, yoga, or deep breathing
- Follow up with your healthcare provider for monitoring
AHA 2024 Blood Pressure Categories
| Category | Systolic | Diastolic |
|---|---|---|
| Low (Hypotension) | < 90 | or < 60 |
| Normal | < 120 | and < 80 |
| Elevated | 120–129 | and < 80 |
| Hypertension Stage 1 | 130–139 | or 80–89 |
| Hypertension Stage 2 | ≥ 140 | or ≥ 90 |
| Hypertensive Crisis | > 180 | or > 120 |
Disclaimer: For informational purposes only. Consult your healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment.
About Blood Pressure Calculator
This blood pressure calculator uses the American Heart Association (AHA) 2024 guidelines to classify your systolic and diastolic readings into categories ranging from low (hypotension) to hypertensive crisis. It also calculates your pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure (MAP) — two additional markers of cardiovascular health that give a fuller picture beyond a standard reading. Enter your numbers using the inputs or arrow buttons, and the tool instantly shows your category, what it means, and practical lifestyle recommendations tailored to your result.
Built and maintained by Meet Shah · Last updated
What this tool is used for
- Understanding which category a reading from a home monitor falls into.
- Comparing several readings taken over a week rather than reacting to one.
- Preparing a summary of readings to discuss at an appointment.
- Learning what the two numbers in a reading actually represent.
- Checking whether a reading that looks borderline crosses a threshold.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What do the two numbers mean?
- Systolic is the peak pressure as the heart contracts; diastolic is the resting pressure between beats. Both are in millimetres of mercury, a unit inherited from the mercury sphygmomanometer and retained because every clinical threshold is expressed in it.
- Which categories are used?
- They differ by guideline, which is why the same reading can be labelled differently. The 2017 ACC/AHA guideline calls 130/80 stage 1 hypertension; European guidance still treats that as high-normal — a genuine disagreement rather than a rounding difference.
- Does a single high reading mean hypertension?
- No. Diagnosis requires repeated elevated readings on separate occasions, because pressure varies with time of day, stress, caffeine and the measurement itself — white-coat hypertension is well documented and is why home monitoring is increasingly recommended.
- What is pulse pressure?
- Systolic minus diastolic, normally 40–60 mmHg. A widening pulse pressure with age reflects arterial stiffening and is an independent cardiovascular risk marker — which is why the gap between the numbers carries information the numbers alone do not.
- How should a reading be taken?
- Seated, back supported, feet flat, arm at heart level, after five minutes of rest, with a correctly sized cuff. A cuff too small over-reads substantially, which is one of the most common sources of a spuriously high measurement.
Common errors and gotchas
- Acting on a single reading. Values vary through the day and a category needs several measurements.
- Measuring immediately after activity, caffeine or stress, which inflates the result.
- Using a cuff of the wrong size or on the wrong arm position, which biases readings substantially.
- Treating a classification as a diagnosis. Only a clinician can make one, using more than these two numbers.
- Comparing readings from different devices without knowing whether either is calibrated.