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High blood pressure, or hypertension, comes from blood pushing too hard against your blood vessels. A healthy blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg.
So what do those numbers mean? The first number, 120, is the amount of blood pressure when the heart is beating. The second number, 80, is the amount of blood pressure when the heart is at rest—in between beats. High blood pressure is blood pressure that is 140/90 mm Hg or above. Your healthcare provider can use a blood pressure cuff to find out if your blood pressure is high or low.
Your blood pressure can change throughout the day for many reasons. Still, there is a range used by healthcare providers to determine whether or not your blood pressure is high. High blood pressure is generally considered to be at least 140 over 90.
Your healthcare provider can tell you what your goal blood pressure is. See the chart below for general information about blood pressure ranges.
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Systolic |
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Diastolic |
| Best |
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less than 120 |
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less than 80 |
| Good |
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120 to 129 |
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80 to 84 |
| Fair |
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130 to 139 |
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85 to 89 |
| Bad |
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140 and up |
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90 and up |
 Next: High Blood Pressure Causes
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