Health Numbers
Enter your systolic and diastolic readings to understand your blood pressure category and cardiovascular risk.
All blood pressure measurements include two numbers: the systolic number (top — pressure during ventricular contraction) and the diastolic number (bottom — pressure during ventricular relaxation).
| Systolic (mmHg) | Diastolic (mmHg) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| < 90 | < 60 | Hypotension |
| 90 – 119 | 60 – 79 | Ideal |
| 120 – 139 | 80 – 89 | Prehypertension |
| 140 – 159 | 90 – 99 | Hypertension Stage 1 |
| 160 – 179 | 100 – 109 | Hypertension Stage 2 |
| ≥ 180 | ≥ 110 | Hypertension Stage 3 |
High blood pressure is the most important modifiable risk factor for coronary heart disease (the leading cause of death in North America), stroke (the third leading cause), congestive heart failure, end-stage kidney disease, and vascular disease.
Mild-to-moderate hypertension, if left completely untreated, is associated with a 30% risk of atherosclerotic disease and a 50% risk of organ damage after only 8–10 years of onset.
A 2005 survey in the United States found that in the male population aged 20 years or older, over 40 million men have prehypertension, over 12 million have stage 1 hypertension, and over 4 million have stage 2 hypertension. For a comprehensive overview, see EMG's Blood Pressure section.