Is my blood pressure reading high?
Yes, if it’s 140/90 or more at a clinic. At home it’s an average of 135/85. 120/80 is the top of ideal. But only one number has to be high, so 140/80 counts too.
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Is 120/80 normal, and is 130/80 high?
120/80 is fine. Blood Pressure UK calls 90/60 up to 120/80 ideal, so 120/80 sits at the top of it. 120/70 is ideal too.
130/80 or 130/70 is not high blood pressure. It’s in the band from 120/80 up to 140/90, which Blood Pressure UK calls pre-high. It’s a little higher than it should be, and you could go on to develop high blood pressure.
You’re usually considered to have high blood pressure at 140/90 or more when a nurse, pharmacist or doctor checks it. At home, it’s an average of 135/85 or more.
- Below 90 mmHgLow.
- 90 up to 120 mmHgIdeal.
- Above 120 to just under 140 mmHgPre-high. Not high blood pressure yet.
- 140 to just under 180 mmHgHigh. NICE confirms it with a home or 24-hour monitor.
- 180 mmHg or aboveSevere. NICE: checks for organ damage as soon as possible.
Sources: Blood Pressure UK; NHS; NICE NG136
The top number is the peak as your heart pumps blood around your body. The bottom number is the low point as it relaxes between beats.
Under 90/60? The NHS calls that low blood pressure. It may just mean you’re fit and healthy.
One reading is a photo, not a film. Temperature, food and stress can all shift a single reading. So a doctor or nurse will probably check it a few times over a few weeks.
Got 140/90 or more? Ask your GP about confirming it.
Is 140/80 or 130/90 high blood pressure?
Both count as high at a clinic. That’s the one-number rule. Blood Pressure UK says only one of your numbers needs to be higher than it should be for you to be diagnosed.
Think of two speed limits on one road: 140 for the top number and 90 for the bottom. Break either one and it counts, whatever the other says.
Breaking a limit doesn’t mean you’ll crash, but it makes a crash more likely. Left untreated, high blood pressure can raise your risk of heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease.
- Below 60 mmHgLow.
- 60 up to 80 mmHgIdeal.
- Above 80 to just under 90 mmHgAbove ideal, below high.
- 90 to just under 120 mmHgHigh, even if the top number is fine.
- 120 mmHg or aboveSevere. NICE: checks for organ damage as soon as possible.
Sources: Blood Pressure UK; NHS; NICE NG136
Risk doesn’t jump at 140. In a million adults who had no heart disease or stroke at the start, the risk of dying from heart disease or stroke rose steadily. There was no clear cut-off down to 115/75.
At ages 40 to 69, each 20 higher on top was linked to at least twice the death rate.
Only the top number high? Read high systolic blood pressure next.
What do 150/90 and 160/100 mean?
Both are high. Find yours below. NICE, the body that writes health guidance for the NHS in England, sets the home line for high 5 lower: 135/85.
| Reading | At a clinic | Home average |
|---|---|---|
| 120/70 or 120/80 | Ideal | Below the home line |
| 130/70 or 130/80 | Pre-high | Below the home line |
| 130/90 | High (bottom 90) | High (bottom 85 or more) |
| 140/80 or 150/80 | High (top 140 or more) | High (top 135 or more) |
| 140/90 or 145/85 | High | High |
| 150/90 or 160/90 | High | High |
| 140/100 or 150/100 | High (bottom 100) | High |
| 160/100 | High. Start of NICE’s stage 2 range, its second of 3 levels | High |
| 180/120 or more | Severe | Set by clinic readings |
Sources: NHS; Blood Pressure UK; NICE NG136
NICE stages blood pressure from your clinic reading plus a home or 24-hour average. So your GP stages it after confirming it, not from one reading.
If stage 2 is confirmed and stays there, NICE says to offer tablets at any age, as well as lifestyle advice. Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without your prescriber.
Got 150/90, 160/100 or any reading marked high above? Book a GP appointment to get it confirmed.
What happens after a high reading?
What NICE does after a clinic reading of 140/90 or more
- 1
Check again
A second reading at the same visit. If it’s very different, a third. The lower of the last 2 counts.
- 2
Confirm it
Between 140/90 and 180/120, a 24-hour monitor. Home readings if that doesn’t suit you.
- 3
Home average
High if it’s 135/85 or more, alongside the clinic reading.
- 4
Meanwhile
Tests for organ damage and a check of your heart and circulation risk.
Source: NICE NG136
Asked to do home readings? NICE wants 2 seated readings, at least 1 minute apart, ideally morning and evening. Do it for at least 4 days, ideally 7.
Day 1 is dropped and the rest are averaged.
Much higher at the surgery than at home? NICE calls a gap of more than 20/10 the white-coat effect.
For cuff position and timing, see how to measure blood pressure at home. For the blood tests your GP may add, see blood tests for high blood pressure.
What should I do if it’s between 120/80 and 140/90?
Start the habits now. NICE says to offer healthy living advice to people with raised blood pressure that isn’t yet high. The NHS says lowering it even a small amount can help cut your risk.
Six NHS changes that help lower blood pressure
- Aim for at least 150 minutes of exercise a week.
- Lose weight if you’re overweight.
- Avoid salty food and adding salt to your meals.
- Avoid drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week on a regular basis.
- Cut down on caffeine, such as coffee, tea and cola.
- Don’t smoke.
Source: NHS: high blood pressure
Get it rechecked too. NICE says at least every 5 years, and to consider checking more often if it’s below 140/90 but still raised.
Which exercise helps most? See exercise for blood pressure.
Thinking of a salt swap? Read salt substitute safety first.
When to speak to a GP
High blood pressure does not usually cause symptoms. Only a check can show it. Speak to a GP if:
- Your reading is 140/90 or more at a pharmacy, or your home average is 135/85 or more. Ask about confirming it.
- You’re 40 or over and haven’t had it checked for more than 5 years. Get it checked at a pharmacy or GP surgery.
- Your reading is under 90/60 and you keep getting symptoms such as feeling light-headed or dizzy, feeling sick, blurred vision, weakness, confusion or fainting.
- Your clinic reading is 180/120 or more. NICE advises checks for organ damage as soon as possible. It advises a same-day specialist assessment if you also have new confusion or chest pain. The same goes for signs of heart failure or sudden kidney damage, or bleeding or swelling at the back of the eye.
Get help from NHS 111 if you often have headaches or blurred vision, or chest pain that comes and goes. Also get help for other symptoms you’re worried could be from high blood pressure.
Call 999 for sudden chest pain or discomfort that doesn’t go away, such as squeezing, pressure, burning or indigestion. Also call for pain spreading to either arm, your neck, jaw, stomach or back. Or chest pain with sweating, feeling sick, light-headed or short of breath.