Blood Pressure Category Calculator
Check which standard blood pressure category your reading falls into, based on American Heart Association guidelines.
Important: this is educational, not a diagnosis
This calculator categorizes a single reading against standard published thresholds for general awareness only — it is not a diagnosis and cannot account for your full medical history, medications, or the pattern of readings over time that a clinician would consider. Blood pressure also naturally varies throughout the day and can be affected by stress, caffeine, recent activity, and measurement technique.
If your reading falls in the Stage 2 or Hypertensive Crisis range, or if you have any concerning symptoms, contact a healthcare provider — a single home reading in a high category is worth having checked, particularly if it's unusually high for you.
How blood pressure categories are defined
Standard American Heart Association categories use both the systolic (top) and diastolic (bottom) numbers, with whichever number falls into a higher category determining the overall classification: Normal (below 120/80), Elevated (120-129 systolic with diastolic under 80), Stage 1 (130-139 systolic or 80-89 diastolic), Stage 2 (140+ systolic or 90+ diastolic), and Hypertensive Crisis (above 180 systolic or above 120 diastolic, requiring immediate medical attention).
For an accurate ongoing picture, most guidelines recommend averaging multiple readings taken on different days rather than relying on a single measurement, since blood pressure can fluctuate meaningfully between individual readings.
Frequently asked questions
Should I be concerned about a single high reading?
A single elevated reading isn't necessarily cause for alarm, since blood pressure fluctuates naturally — but a reading in the Stage 2 or Crisis range, or a pattern of consistently high readings, is worth discussing with a healthcare provider.
Why does this calculator use whichever number is higher?
Standard guidelines classify blood pressure based on whichever of the two numbers (systolic or diastolic) falls into the more severe category — a reading can be classified as elevated risk even if only one of the two numbers is high.