What is normal blood pressure?
In this article we will describe what is a normal blood pressure level.
What is Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure (BP) is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps. It is recorded using two numbers:
- Systolic pressure – the top (higher) value. This reflects the pressure when the heart contracts and pumps blood.
- Diastolic pressure – the bottom (lower) value. This reflects the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats.
Example: 127/73 mmHg
What is Normal Blood Pressure?
There is no single universal ‘normal’ BP value.
Blood pressure naturally varies between individuals and changes with age, fitness level, and overall health.
However, typical ranges for adults are:
- Low blood pressure: below 90/60 mmHg
- Normal range: 90/60 – 135/85
- High-normal: 136–139 / 86–89 mmHg
- High blood pressure (hypertension): 140/90 mmHg or above
⚠️ Emergency: A reading of 180/120 mmHg or higher may indicate a hypertensive emergency and needs urgent medical attention.
How does Blood Pressure Change with Age and Gender?
As people get older, their arteries naturally become stiffer, leading to increased blood pressure.
Normal blood pressure tends to be higher in men than women, but post-menopause, women’s blood pressure often aligns with that of men.
Note. Hence for people over 75 years, a target blood pressure below 150/90 mmHg is often recommended to ensure adequate cerebral perfusion (and prevent falls).
Summary
In this article we have described what is a normal blood pressure level – and the effects of age and gender. We hope it has been helpful.