Blood Pressure Chart: Low, Normal,
High Reading by Age
Synopsis:
Blood pressure table showing if adults and children have high, low, or healthy
average blood pressure range for their age, includes other helpful cardiac related
information.
Systolic Pressure is the blood pressure reading when your heart beats - the first or top
number.
Diastolic Pressure is blood pressure measurement when your heart relaxes - the
second or bottom number.
Main Document
High blood pressure often does not cause any signs of illness that you can see or feel.
Which is why it is important to make an appointment with your doctor - or other
healthcare provider - to check your blood pressure. It is recommended that you get
your blood pressure checked at least once every year by a healthcare provider. If you
have been diagnosed with high blood pressure (or other related conditions), your
doctor may recommend that you get it checked more often.
What Does Blood Pressure Refer To?
Blood pressure refers to the force exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood
vessels and constitutes one of the principal vital signs. The pressure of the circulating
blood decreases as blood moves through your arteries, arterioles, capillaries, and
veins. The term blood pressure generally refers to your arterial pressure, i.e., the
pressure in the larger arteries, arteries being the blood vessels which take blood away
from the heart.
Blood pressure is always given as two numbers;
Systolic Pressure (when the heart beats)
Diastolic Pressure (when the heart relaxes)
When the measurements are written down, both are written one above, or before, the
other with the systolic being the first number, for example 120/75.
Blood pressure is NOT the same as your heart rate (pulse) or maximum heart rate.
You can check what your heart rate for your age should be here, and/or calculate your
predicted maximum heart rate by using the calculation: 220 - (age) = Age Predicted
Maximum Heart Rate, or see our Target Heart Rate Calculator and Chart.
What is Classified as LOW Blood Pressure?
Low Blood Pressure Range
Blood pressure that is too low is known as Hypotension.
Systolic pressure (mm Diastolic pressure (mm
Pressure Range
Hg) Hg)
90 60 Borderline Low blood Pressure
60 40 Too Low Blood Pressure
Dangerously Low Blood
50 33
Pressure
What is Classified as NORMAL Blood Pressure?
Normal Blood Pressure Range
Systolic pressure (mm Hg) Diastolic pressure (mm Hg) Pressure Range
130 85 High Normal Blood Pressure
120 80 Normal Blood Pressure
110 75 Low Normal Blood Pressure
What is Classified as HIGH Blood Pressure?
High Blood Pressure Range
If one or both numbers are usually high, you have high blood pressure
(Hypertension).
Systolic pressure (mm Diastolic pressure (mm Stages of High Blood
Hg) Hg) Pressure
210 120 Stage 4
180 110 Stage 3
160 100 Stage 2
140 90 Stage 1
What Should Blood Pressure be According to Age?
Approx. Ideal BP According to Age Chart
Age Female Male
1 - 2 80/34 - 120/75 83/38 - 117/76
3 100/59 100/61
4 102/62 101/64
5 104/65 103/66
6 105/68 104/68
7 106/70 106/69
8 107/71 108/71
9 109/72 110/72
10 111/73 112/73
11 113/74 114/74
12 115/74 116/75
13 117/75 117/76
14 120/75 119/77
15 120/76 120/78
16 120/78 120/78
17 120/80 120/78
18 120/80 120/80
19-24 120/79 120/79
25-29 120/80 121/80
30-35 122/81 123/82
36-39 123/82 124/83
40-45 124/83 125/83
46-49 126/84 127/84
50-55 129/85 128/85
56-59 130/86 131/87
60+ 134/84 135/88
Measuring Your Blood Pressure
Healthcare professionals use a stethoscope and a manual sphygmomanometer to
measure your blood pressure. Typically they take the reading above your elbow. The
sphygmomanometer has a bladder, cuff, bulb, and a gauge. When the bulb is pumped
it inflates the bladder inside the cuff, which is wrapped around your arm. This
inflation will stop the blood flow in your arteries. The stethoscope is used to listen for
sound of the heartbeat, and no sound indicates that there is no flow. As the pressure is
released from the bladder, you will hear the sound of the blood flowing again. That
point becomes systolic reading. The diastolic reading is when you hear no sound
again, which means that the blood flow is back to normal.
What Causes High Blood Pressure?
A diagnosis of high or low blood pressure requires only one measurement, either
systolic or diastolic, or both, to be outside the healthy range. For many people who
with higher than normal blood pressure there is no obvious cause why their blood
pressure is high. Some factors that may contribute to high BP include:
Aging
Stress
Smoking
Genetics
Sleep apnea
Too much salt
Being overweight
Lack of exercise
Chronic kidney disease
Adrenal and thyroid disorders
High average alcohol consumption
Family history of high blood pressure
Signs of high blood pressure include, headache dizziness, pounding in ears, and a
bloody nose. These symptoms typically don't occur until high blood pressure has
reached an advanced and even a possibly life threatening stage.
Blood Pressure 100 Plus Your Age
Medical research shows that as we age blood pressure rises slightly to accommodate
an increased demand of oxygen and nutrients. It is completely natural for the first
number (systolic) to be 100 plus your age. A recent study by a group of UCLA
researchers came very close to corroborating Dr. Piette's guide for blood pressure of
100 plus your age for men, subtracting 10 for women, and this is after this rule had
been in use for five or more decades. Are we now being taught that Dr. Piette's guide
for blood pressure is wrong merely for drug company profit?
Symptoms of a Heart Attack
The heart requires blood to bring oxygen, and nutrients to its muscle tissue. The
narrowing of the arteries due to blockage can cause high blood pressure. If this
blockage occurs in the arteries of the heart, coronary arteries, heart muscle damage
can occur, resulting in a heart attack.
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense, however most heart attacks start slowly
with mild pain and discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of
the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can
feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. Shortness of breath may
occur, as well as nausea, or lightheadedness. It is vital to get help immediately if any
of these symptoms occur.
Symptoms of a Stroke
The brain requires unobstructed blood flow to nourish its many functions. Very high,
sustained blood pressure will eventually cause blood vessels to weaken. Over time
these weaken vessels can break, and blood will leak into the brain. The area of the
brain that is being fed by these broken vessels start to die, and this will cause a stroke.
Additionally, if a blot clot blocks a narrowed artery, blood ceases to flow and a stroke
will occur.
Symptoms of a stroke include sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg,
especially on one side of the body, confusion, trouble speaking, or seeing, sudden
severe headache. If you or someone with you has one or more of these signs, don't
delay, call 911.
Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease
You have diabetes.
Your diet is high in saturated fats.
You consume more than two alcoholic drinks per day.
You have high blood pressure or need medication to control your blood
pressure.
You have high cholesterol levels or need medication to control your
cholesterol level.
You exercise less than 30 minutes per day - Inactivity puts a person at higher
risk of developing heart disease.
You are overweight - Persons that have an excess of body fat are at a higher
risk than persons of normal weight.
You are over 40 or a post-menopausal woman - Risk of heart disease increases
over the age of 45 in males, over 55 in females.
Family History - Children of parents that developed heart disease before the
age of 55 have a higher risk of developing heart disease.
You smoke - Cigarette smokers are at greater risk than pipe and cigar smokers,
but all forms of tobacco are proven to be detrimental to the hearts health.
If you answered yes to one or more of the above, you should talk to your doctor about
how you can reduce your risk through lifestyle modifications. Your doctor will
determine if preventative therapies such as ASPIRIN 81mg are right for you.
Blood Pressure Medications
There are several types of blood pressure medications and if one doesn't work, then
ask your doctor to switch to another until your blood pressure becomes stable.
Adalat - A dihydropyridine calcium blocker. It is mostly used for treating
hypertension and Angina Pectoris. Other conditions that benefit from Adalat
are Raynaud's phenomenon, Tetanus and Angina Pectoris. Brand names of the
drug include Procardia and Nifedical.
Aldactone - While regularly prescribed for high-blood-pressure patients, the
drug can also be prescribed along with other drugs. However, the drug is
useful only for controlling, rather than curing, high blood pressure.
What is Angina?
Angina is a form of heart disease where the blood flow to the heart is restricted by a
blockage in one or more of the arteries that carry blood into the heart. Usually, the
first sign Angina is a pain in the chest, not unlike a squeezing or pressing sensation.
Printable Average Blood Pressure Reading Chart
