british heart foundation blood pressure chart pdf

If you have a high reading, your doctor or nurse will want to see if it stays high over time before diagnosing high blood pressure. You might also have high blood pressure if just one of the numbers is higher than it should be – so if the top number is over 140mmHg or the bottom number is over 90mmHg.Ī single high reading doesn’t necessarily mean you have high blood pressure, as many things can affect your blood pressure throughout the day and it could just be a one-off. This is the cut-off point many GPs use for diagnosing high blood pressure. You will probably be diagnosed with high blood pressure (hypertension) if your readings are consistently 140/90mmHg or higher over a number of weeks. Taking steps to lower your blood pressure will keep your risk of health problems down. If you’re in this range, you could develop high blood pressure in the future. Most people in the UK have blood pressures higher than the ideal, but below the usual cut-off for diagnosing high blood pressure – somewhere between 120/80mmHg and 140/90mmHg. Ideally, we should all have a blood pressure reading between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg. For example, if your reading is 120/80mmHg, your blood pressure is 120 over 80.įind out more about what the numbers mean and if yours is in the healthy range.

When you have it measured it will be written as two numbers, a top number and a bottom number. It doesn’t usually have any symptoms so the only way to know you have it is to have a blood pressure check.īlood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) using a simple machine. High blood pressure is very common, about a third of adults in the UK have it, but many aren’t aware of it. The good news is there are lots of things you can do to lower it. This is called high blood pressure, or hypertension. Over time it can lead to a number of health problems including heart attacks, stroke, kidney disease and some forms of dementia. If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your heart and blood vessels. The strength of this pushing is your blood pressure. As the blood moves, it pushes against the sides of the blood vessels. When your heart beats, it pumps blood around your body to give it the energy and oxygen it needs. This is high blood pressure (hypertension).

If your blood pushes against your blood vessel walls with too much force, it puts a strain on your heart and blood vessels.

British heart foundation blood pressure chart pdf