General Information

• Systolic vs Diastolic - The blood pressure (BP) reading is written as two numbers, the systolic pressure and the diastolic pressure. For example, if a person had a BP of 130/65, then 130 would be the systolic blood pressure and 65 would be the diastolic blood pressure.
• Definition of High Blood Pressure - An adult has hypertension (high blood pressure) if the blood pressure (BP) readings consistently show a BP greater than 140/90, that is, a systolic BP over 140 OR a diastolic BP over 90.
• Untreated hypertension may cause damage to the heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes.
• Automatic home BP measurement devices can sometimes be unreliable. You should check your BP in both arms. If there is another adult in the home, consider checking his/her BP to see if the device is functioning correctly. If there is any doubt, go in to your doctor's office to get your blood pressure checked.