Table of Contents
- Diastolic Hypertension. Diastolic hypertension refers to an elevated diastolic blood pressure reading. This subtype is most common in middle-aged adults age 30 - 50.
Blood Pressure Guidelines
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). According to current adult guidelines, blood pressure is categorized as normal, prehypertensive, and hypertensive (which is further divided into Stage 1 and 2, according to severity).
- Normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg.
- Prehypertension blood pressure readings (120 -139 systolic or 80 - 89 diastolic) indicate an increased risk for developing high blood pressure.
- High blood pressure is greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg (systolic) or greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg (diastolic).
Current guidelines for children are based on percentile ranges for a child’s body size. Hypertension in children is defined as average systolic and diastolic readings that are greater than the 95th percentile for gender, age, and height on at least three occasions.
Prehypertension in children is diagnosed when average systolic or diastolic blood pressure levels are at least in the 90th percentile but less than the 95th percentile. For adolescents, as with adults, blood pressure readings greater than 120/80 are considered prehypertensive. Increasing rates of childhood obesity have led to higher rates of hypertension and prehypertension among children and adolescents.
Blood Pressure Ranges | |
Blood Pressure Category |
Ranges for Most Adults (systolic/diastolic) |
Normal Blood Pressure (systolic/diastolic) |
Systolic below 120 mm Hg Diastolic below 80 mm Hg |
Prehypertension |
Systolic 120 - 139 mm Hg Diastolic 80 - 89 mm Hg (NOTE: 139/89 or below should be the minimum goal for everyone. People with heart disease, peripheral artery disease, diabetes or chronic kidney disease should strive for 130/80 or less.) |
Mild Hypertension (Stage 1) |
Systolic 140 - 159 mm Hg Diastolic 90 - 99 mm Hg |
Moderate-to-Severe Hypertension (Stage 2) |
Systolic over 160 mm Hg or Diastolic over 100 mm Hg |
Note: If one of the measurements is in a higher category than the other, the higher measurement is usually used to determine the stage. For example, if systolic pressure is 165 (Stage 2) and diastolic is 92 (Stage 1), the patient would still be diagnosed with Stage 2 hypertension. A high systolic pressure compared to a normal or low diastolic pressure should be a major focus of concern in most adults. | |
Review Date: 04/06/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical
School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by
David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
