What are the blood pressure categories?

Using the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline: Normal is below 120/80 mmHg; Elevated is 120–129 systolic and below 80 diastolic; Hypertension Stage 1 is 130–139 systolic or 80–89 diastolic; Hypertension Stage 2 is 140 or higher systolic or 90 or higher diastolic; Hypertensive Crisis is above 180 systolic and/or above 120 diastolic.

Which number decides my category if they disagree?

The more severe of the two readings sets the category. For example, 135/75 is Hypertension Stage 1 because the systolic value of 135 lands in the Stage 1 band even though the diastolic of 75 is normal.

What is a Hypertensive Crisis?

A reading above 180 systolic and/or above 120 mmHg diastolic is a hypertensive crisis. Guidelines advise waiting five minutes and re-measuring; if it stays that high, or there are symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath, seek emergency medical care.

Is one reading enough to diagnose high blood pressure?

No. A diagnosis normally relies on the average of several readings taken on separate occasions, often confirmed with home or 24-hour monitoring. This tool classifies a single reading for information only and is not a diagnosis.

Is my reading sent anywhere?

No. The classification runs entirely in your browser and your numbers are never uploaded, stored or logged.

What is the Blood Pressure Category Calculator?

Enter a systolic and diastolic blood pressure reading and see which 2017 ACC/AHA category it falls in — Normal, Elevated, Hypertension Stage 1 or 2, or Hypertensive Crisis — plus your pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure. Runs 100% in your browser. It runs free in your browser on Gera Tools, with nothing uploaded.

Blood Pressure Category Calculator

Name: Blood Pressure Category Calculator
Creator: Gera Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Get one useful tool a week

Like this tool? Enter your email and we'll send you one genuinely useful Gera tool a week — plus a link to come back to this one. No spam, one-click unsubscribe any time.

The Blood Pressure Category Calculator takes a single systolic/diastolic reading and tells you which band it falls into under the 2017 American College of Cardiology / American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guideline, alongside your pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure.

The 2017 ACC/AHA categories

Category	Systolic (mmHg)		Diastolic (mmHg)
Normal	below 120	and	below 80
Elevated	120 – 129	and	below 80
Hypertension Stage 1	130 – 139	or	80 – 89
Hypertension Stage 2	140 or higher	or	90 or higher
Hypertensive Crisis	above 180	and/or	above 120

The category is set by whichever number is more severe. A reading of 135/75 is Stage 1 because the systolic value reaches the Stage 1 band, even though the diastolic value is normal.

Pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure

The tool also reports two derived figures:

Pulse pressure = systolic − diastolic. A typical resting value is 40–60 mmHg.
Mean arterial pressure (MAP) = diastolic + (pulse pressure ÷ 3). A MAP of about 70–100 mmHg is generally considered adequate for organ perfusion.

Important

This is an information tool, not a medical device. Blood pressure varies through the day and a true diagnosis relies on multiple readings taken on separate occasions. Always discuss your numbers with a clinician, and treat a crisis-level reading with symptoms as an emergency.