Blood Pressure Reading Classifier

Blood Pressure Guide

What do I need to know about Understanding Your Blood Pressure Numbers?

Blood pressure is expressed as systolic/diastolic (e.g. 120/80 mmHg). Systolic: the pressure when the heart contracts and pushes blood out. Diastolic: the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats. Both numbers matter. NHS categories: ideal: 90/60 to 120/80. Normal: up to 130/85. High normal: 130-139/85-89. High (Stage 1 hypertension): 140-159/90-99. High (Stage 2): 160-179/100-109. Severe (Stage 3): 180+/110+. Low (hypotension): below 90/60.

How to Measure Blood Pressure Correctly?

For an accurate home reading: sit quietly for 5 minutes before measuring. Sit with back supported, feet flat on floor. Support the arm at heart height on a table. Use the upper arm (not wrist monitors — less accurate). Use the correct cuff size for your arm circumference. Do not talk during the measurement. Take 2-3 readings, 1-2 minutes apart, and record the average. Do not measure within 30 minutes of caffeine, exercise, smoking, or a full bladder — all raise blood pressure. Morning readings, before medication and after emptying your bladder, alongside evening readings together give the most representative picture, since blood pressure naturally varies through the day.

What do I need to know about Hypertension — Risks and Causes?

Persistently high blood pressure (hypertension) damages blood vessel walls over time, increasing the risk of: heart attack (2-3× increased risk at 140/90 vs 120/80), stroke (4× increased risk), kidney disease, vascular dementia, and heart failure. Hypertension has no symptoms in most people — the majority of people with high blood pressure do not know they have it. Risk factors: age (blood pressure rises with age), obesity, high salt intake, excess alcohol, lack of physical activity, smoking, stress, and a family history of high blood pressure.

What's the key thing to understand about Managing Blood Pressure?

Lifestyle modifications that lower blood pressure: reducing salt intake to under 6g/day (current UK average ~8g) — can reduce systolic by 5-10 mmHg. Regular aerobic exercise (150 minutes moderate per week) — reduces systolic by 4-9 mmHg. Weight loss — each 1kg reduction lowers systolic by approximately 1 mmHg. Reducing alcohol to under 14 units/week. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet — rich in fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, and low-fat dairy. If lifestyle changes alone are not enough to bring blood pressure into a healthy range, your GP may recommend medication — this is common and does not mean lifestyle changes were wasted, since they often reduce the dose needed.