High blood pressure is classified in one of several categories — and those designations can influence treatment.
By Beth W. OrensteinMedically Reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH
Reviewed: April 27, 2009
Medically Reviewed
Doctors classify blood pressure into four categories: normal, prehypertension (mild), stage 1 (moderate) and stage 2 (severe). Treatment depends on which category your pressure consistently falls in when readings are taken. The stages are based on the Joint National Committee 7 report done by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which is a part of the National Institutes of Health. Are you doing everything you can to manage your heart condition? Find out with our interactive checkup. Blood pressure is measured with an instrument called a sphygmomanometer, through which the user listens for the sound of the force of blood in the patient’s arteries when the heart beats (systolic pressure). Measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), systolic pressure is the top number in your blood pressure reading. The second, or bottom number, is the pressure in the arteries of the heart at rest — the diastolic pressure. Generally, as an adult, you are considered to have high blood pressure if your systolic pressure reading is greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg or if your diastolic pressure is greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg. But for every 20 mm Hg your systolic pressure raises above 115, and for every 10 mm Hg your diastolic pressure rises over 75, your risk of cardiovascular disease doubles — so lower pressures are generally better.How Blood Pressure is Measured
Here’s a look at the current stages and their recommended treatments: If your systolic and diastolic pressures fall into different stages, the stage with the higher number is the one that counts. For example, if you have a systolic pressure of 150 mm Hg but your diastolic pressure is only 85 mm Hg, you will be classified as stage 1 hypertension, not prehypertension. And if you are over age 50, it is the diastolic number that best predicts your risk of cardiovascular disease.Stages of Hypertension
Left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to coronary heart disease, which can mean a heart attack or stroke. You should have your blood pressure checked regularly, and follow your doctor’s advice for keeping it under control.
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