Blood Pressure
The force of blood against your artery walls, recorded as two numbers.
The top number (systolic) is the pressure when your heart beats; the bottom (diastolic) is the pressure between beats. Normal is under 120/80. Stage 1 hypertension is 130-139 / 80-89; stage 2 is 140/90 or higher. Untreated high blood pressure raises stroke and heart-attack risk.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Ikechukwu Ogbu, MD
MD · Board-Certified, Internal Medicine · Last reviewed June 2026