Measuring High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is a measure of the force of blood pumped from the heart against the walls of your arteries (or blood vessels). It reflects how high the pressure in your arteries is to raise a column of mercury (similar to the way your temperature raises mercury in a thermometer), and is recorded as millimeters of mercury (mmHg).

Blood pressure is read as two numbers: a top number (systolic pressure), or the pressure of blood in the vessels as the heartbeats; and a bottom number (diastolic pressure), or the pressure of the blood between heartbeats. Although the average blood pressure reading for adults is 120/80, a slightly higher or lower reading (for either number) may not be a problem. If you have heart disease or major risk factors such as smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, family history of heart disease or high blood pressure, or have gone through menopause (stopped having periods), your health care provider will help you aim for a lower blood pressure.

High blood pressure (or hypertension) in adults is defined as blood pressure that consistently exceeds 140/90 normally. Ask your health care provider to tell you what your blood pressure number is and what this means to you. Talk with your health care provider about ways to prevent, and if needed, to lower your blood pressure and about how often you need to have your blood pressure rechecked.

Many older people develop a form of high blood pressure called isolated systolic hypertension (ISH), which occurs when the top (systolic) number is high but the bottom (diastolic) number is normal. This type of high blood pressure also requires monitoring and treatment by your health care provider.

*Blood pressure level in mmHG