Forms of Hypertension (Blood Pressure Types)
When it comes to blood pressure, certain terms keep coming up. For example, people talk about systolic and diastolic values the upper and lower readings. Blood pressure can be high or rather low. Some fluctuation is completely normal; what matters is the baseline level the blood pressure settles at when you're at rest.
Blood pressure isn't a fixed number it adapts to the situation. This ensures the cardiovascular system can supply the organs with enough blood.
When blood pressure is too high, these adjustments take place on an abnormally elevated baseline. Doctors call blood pressure high in adults when it is repeatedly above 140/90 mmHg. Elevated blood pressure classified as "high-normal" is a systolic value between 130 and 139 and a diastolic value between 85 and 89. Values above 180 (systolic) and 110 (diastolic) are referred to by doctors as severe high blood pressure.
Please also note that, according to the guidelines of the German Hypertension League, a home measurement of >=135 and/or >=85 mmHg is considered high blood pressure.
If blood pressure is below 105 (systolic) and 65 (diastolic), it is considered too low.
Normal values are different for children.
Articles in this category:
- High blood pressure - Arterial hypertension
- Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)
- Diastolic blood pressure
- Systolic blood pressure
- Isolated systolic hypertension
- Morning high blood pressure
- Masked Hypertension
- White coat hypertension
- Treatment-resistant high blood pressure
- Pregnancy hypertension
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Grades and stages of high blood pressure
This article comes from BloodPressureDB – the leading app since 2011 that helps hundreds of thousands monitor their blood pressure every day.
Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 11/2025).
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as in outpatient care, and has led BloodPressureDB's specialist editorial team since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as a paramedic, first responder and in various therapy and emergency areas, she provides solid, practical and reliably reviewed information.
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as in outpatient care, and has led BloodPressureDB's specialist editorial team since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as a paramedic, first responder and in various therapy and emergency areas, she provides solid, practical and reliably reviewed information.
