Understanding Blood Pressure Readings | American Heart Association

Oct 16, 2024

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, can lead to serious health problems including heart attack or stroke. Measuring your blood pressure is the only way to know if you have it. Controlling high blood pressure can help prevent major health problems.

Note: Only a doctor or other medical professional can confirm a high blood pressure diagnosis. They also can check if your blood pressure is too low.

If your blood pressure is in the normal range, stick with heart-healthy habits such as following a balanced diet and getting regular exercise.

If your blood pressure is elevated, work with your health care professional to control the condition.

In hypertension Stage 1, your health care professional should prescribe lifestyle changes. They may consider adding medication based on your risk of heart disease or stroke and should add medication if you have other conditions such as diabetes, heart failure and kidney disease.

In hypertension Stage 2, your health care professional should prescribe blood pressure medication and lifestyle changes.

In hypertensive crisis, you need medical attention.

If your readings are still unusually high, contact your health care professional immediately.

Call 911 if your blood pressure is higher than 180/120 and you are having:

Your blood pressure is recorded as two numbers:

A higher systolic or diastolic reading may be used to diagnose high blood pressure. But the systolic blood pressure tells more about risk factors for heart disease for people over 50. As people get older, their systolic blood pressure usually goes up because: