Which normal values does BloodPressureDB use?

The classification of blood pressure values has changed repeatedly over the years. Not only have the limits considered to be normal or non-critical often been lowered, but different countries and professional societies also classify values differently. To give our users a reliable and clear orientation, we developed a scientifically based table with globally harmonized blood pressure reference values. For this, we systematically reviewed the current, sometimes diverging, guidelines from the leading international societies and used that evidence to create a consistent classification. We now use this table in our app to provide you with a precise interpretation of your readings.

Category	Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)	Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg)
Low	<105	<65
Optimal	105–119	65–79
Normal	120–129	80–84
High-normal / Elevated	130–139	85–89
Hypertension Stage 1	140–159	90–99
Hypertension Stage 2	160-179	100-109
Hypertension Stage 3	>=180	>=110

There are no official reference values for low blood pressure. However, we do not want to label low values as "Optimal." Please also note that, according to some guidelines, a home blood pressure of >=135 and/or >=85 mmHg is considered high blood pressure. For example, the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) recommends this threshold as the cutoff for diagnosing hypertension from home measurements. The German Hypertension League (DHL) follows this recommendation. In Canada, guidelines such as those from the Canadian Hypertension Education Program (CHEP) also commonly use 135/85 mmHg as the home measurement threshold.

This harmonized table is intended as a simplified, general framework for understanding blood pressure categories. It's important to stress, though, that individual medical societies often use different classification systems with variations in terminology and specific numeric thresholds. For example, the 2017 guideline from the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) in North America redefined hypertension at a lower threshold of ≥130/80 mmHg and introduced the category "Elevated blood pressure" for values between 120–129/<80 mmHg. This change was based on a growing recognition of the increased cardiovascular risk associated with values that had previously been considered prehypertensive. Likewise, the 2024 guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) also introduced an "Elevated blood pressure" category defined as 120–139/70–89 mmHg, while keeping the hypertension threshold at ≥140/90 mmHg. The Japanese Society of Hypertension (JSH) 2019 guideline uses terms like "High normal" (120–129/<80 mmHg) and "Elevated blood pressure" (130–139/80–89 mmHg) and aligns many of its thresholds with the US guidelines. The focused update of the Korean guidelines from 2018 (Korean Society of Hypertension, KSH) in 2022 provides its own classification system, while the Chinese guidelines of 2024 (Chinese Hypertension League, CHL) continue to use 140/90 mmHg as the diagnostic cutoff for hypertension. The harmonized table is a useful first reference, but a full understanding requires a detailed look at the specific guidelines issued by medical societies in different regions. The differing definitions of hypertension among leading societies highlight the need for clinicians to be aware of regional differences and to adapt their diagnostic and treatment approaches accordingly.