Blood Pressure Checker
140/90 blood pressure
140/90 is high (stage 1) on the UK chart and stage 2 hypertension on the US chart.
- UK chart
- High (stage 1)
- US chart
- Stage 2 hypertension
What do the two numbers mean?
140 is systolic pressure, measured when the heart contracts. 90 is diastolic pressure, measured between beats. Both are in millimetres of mercury (mmHg).
Why these labels?
140 systolic and 90 diastolic are the UK clinic boundaries for high blood pressure. The same numbers are the US stage 2 boundaries. The measurement does not change between countries; the names and thresholds do.
This reading reaches NICE's clinic threshold. NICE confirms hypertension using clinic measurements together with an ambulatory daytime or home average, rather than assigning a diagnosis from this single number pair.
Clinic readings and home averages
If 140/90 represents a home average, it is above NICE's threshold of 135 systolic or 85 diastolic. A single reading and an average are different measurements.
These categories describe a number pair, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment target. A single reading is not the same as a pattern or an average.
Other common readings
Sources
- British Heart Foundation: blood pressure ranges
- NICE NG136: clinic and home measurement thresholds
- American Heart Association: US categories
- NHS: low blood pressure definition
Adult ranges. Informational only, not medical advice or a diagnosis.