Blood Pressure Category Checker
Check a blood pressure reading or the average of several against the ACC/AHA categories and ESH grades, with mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure.
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About this toolWhat is the Blood Pressure Category Checker?
The Blood Pressure Category Checker tells you which category a reading falls in under the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) system: normal, elevated, stage 1 hypertension, stage 2 hypertension, or the severe range above 180/120. Type a single reading, or paste a list of home readings and the page averages them first, which is how guidelines expect blood pressure to be judged.
For comparison it also shows the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) 2023 grade, which uses a different scale (optimal, normal, high normal and grades 1 to 3), plus mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure. If an average is above 180/120 the page shows what to do straight away.
Readings stay in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
- ACC/AHA categories from the 2017 guideline, unchanged in 2025
- ESH 2023 grades and isolated systolic or diastolic hypertension
- Averages any number of readings, optionally dropping the first
- Mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure
- Urgent-action guidance above 180/120
- Runs in your browser; nothing is stored
How to use the Blood Pressure Category Checker
- Measure after sitting quietly for 5 minutes with your back supported, feet flat and the cuff on a bare upper arm at heart level. Avoid caffeine, exercise and smoking for 30 minutes before.
- For one reading, enter systolic (top) and diastolic (bottom) numbers and, optionally, pulse.
- For several, switch to Several readings and paste one per line, such as 132/84 70. Tick Ignore the first reading if you take three in a row.
- Read the ACC/AHA category, the ESH grade, mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure.
- Copy the summary to share with your clinician, together with your raw readings.
Worked examples
Mixed numbers
Input
128/84
Output
Stage 1 hypertension (ACC/AHA); ESH normal
Systolic 128 alone would be elevated, but diastolic 84 is in the 80 to 89 band, and the higher category applies. In Europe the same reading counts as normal.
Three home readings
Input
138/88, 131/84, 129/83 with the first ignored
Output
Average 130/84, stage 1; MAP 99 mmHg
Dropping the first reading changes the average from 133/85 to 130/84. Both are stage 1, but small differences matter near a boundary.
Severe range
Input
186/104
Output
Severe (hypertensive crisis range) with an urgent-action message
Above 180 systolic or 120 diastolic the page tells you to rest and recheck, and to seek emergency care if you have symptoms such as chest pain or weakness.
Background and insight
The 2017 ACC/AHA guideline lowered the threshold for hypertension in the United States from 140/90 to 130/80 mmHg, citing trials such as SPRINT that showed fewer cardiovascular events with lower targets. Its categories are normal (below 120 and below 80), elevated (120 to 129 and below 80), stage 1 (130 to 139 or 80 to 89) and stage 2 (140 or more or 90 or more). The 2025 AHA/ACC guideline kept these categories. When the top and bottom numbers fall in different categories, the higher one applies, so 128/84 is stage 1.
Europe kept 140/90 as the line for hypertension. The 2023 ESH guideline classifies office readings as optimal (below 120/80), normal (120 to 129 and/or 80 to 84), high normal (130 to 139 and/or 85 to 89), grade 1 (140 to 159 and/or 90 to 99), grade 2 (160 to 179 and/or 100 to 109) and grade 3 (180 or more and/or 110 or more), with isolated systolic hypertension when only the top number is 140 or more. The same reading can therefore be "stage 1" in the US and "high normal" in Europe.
One reading is a weak basis for any label. Blood pressure varies minute to minute, rises in a clinic (white-coat effect) and can be normal in the clinic but high at home (masked hypertension). Guidelines base a diagnosis on the average of two or more readings on two or more occasions, and favour home or 24-hour ambulatory monitoring. The 2017 ACC/AHA guideline gives home equivalents: 130/80 at home corresponds to 130/80 in the office, but 135/85 at home corresponds to 140/90.
Common use cases
Making sense of a home monitor
Most cuffs show numbers without a category; this page adds the label and the guideline behind it.
Averaging a week of readings
Paste morning and evening readings to get the average your doctor will look at.
Comparing US and European systems
See how the same numbers are graded under ACC/AHA and ESH.
Preparing for an appointment
Copy a tidy summary with average, category, MAP and pulse pressure.
Tips and limitations
- Use a validated upper-arm monitor with the right cuff size. A cuff that is too small reads high.
- Take two or three readings a minute apart, morning and evening, for about a week before drawing conclusions.
- Do not talk during the measurement and keep your arm supported; both can add several mmHg.
- Low readings below 90/60 are common in healthy young people. They matter if you feel dizzy, faint or unwell.
- If you already take blood pressure medicine, your target is set with your clinician and may differ from these categories.
Frequently asked questions
Is 130/80 high blood pressure?
Under the ACC/AHA system, yes: 130 to 139 systolic or 80 to 89 diastolic is stage 1 hypertension. Under the ESH system 130/80 is high normal, because Europe draws the hypertension line at 140/90.
Which number matters more, the top or the bottom?
Both count, and the higher category wins. After about age 50, systolic pressure is the stronger predictor of heart attack and stroke, and isolated systolic hypertension is common in older adults.
Why average several readings?
Single readings vary by 5 to 10 mmHg or more from moment to moment. Guidelines diagnose hypertension from averages over several days or occasions, ideally with home or ambulatory measurements.
What is a hypertensive crisis?
A reading above 180 systolic and/or 120 diastolic. Rest for 5 minutes and measure again. If it stays that high, contact a clinician promptly; with chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, weakness, numbness, vision or speech changes, call emergency services.
What is mean arterial pressure?
The average pressure through one heartbeat, estimated as diastolic plus one third of the difference between systolic and diastolic. For 120/80 it is about 93 mmHg. Doctors use it in intensive care, where around 65 mmHg is a common minimum target.
What is pulse pressure?
Systolic minus diastolic, usually around 40 mmHg. A wide pulse pressure in older adults often reflects stiff arteries.
Are home readings judged the same as clinic readings?
Mostly. The ACC/AHA guideline treats a home average of 130/80 as equivalent to 130/80 in the clinic, but 135/85 at home as equivalent to 140/90 in the clinic, because home readings tend to run lower.
Is there an in-depth guide to the Blood Pressure Category Checker?
Yes. “Blood Pressure Categories Explained: ACC/AHA Stages vs ESH Grades” covers the background, how it works, common pitfalls and worked examples. Read the full guide.
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