Blood Pressure Category Chart
Use this blood pressure chart by age and gender to place an adult reading in the AHA category it reaches. Age and sex do not change the adult thresholds.
Your result
—
AHA / ACC adult category
—
Safety note. A single reading is not enough to diagnose hypertension. Technique matters.
iPhone & iPad · Free
Track it in Sodium Tracker.
Keep health calculations and personal notes private on your device.
How to read a blood pressure chart by age and gender
For adults, the American Heart Association and ACC categories are not split by age or sex. The category is set by the higher category reached by the systolic or diastolic reading, so there is no official adult blood pressure chart by age and gender with different thresholds.
Average blood pressure does rise with age, but the adult target does not change. Children are the genuine exception: paediatric thresholds are percentile-based on age, sex and height and need a clinician.
A single reading is not enough to diagnose hypertension. Measure seated with your back supported, feet flat, and arm at heart level; avoid caffeine or exercise for 30 minutes beforehand. A crisis reading means seek medical care immediately.
Use the higher of the systolic category and diastolic category. This tool reports a published category, not a diagnosis. A clinician diagnoses hypertension from repeated measurements and clinical context.
American Heart Association: Understanding Blood Pressure Readings ↗
Blood pressure category chart FAQ
Do adult blood pressure thresholds change by age or gender?
No. The AHA/ACC adult categories use the same thresholds for every adult. Many age-and-gender tables online are not official adult category tables.
What if my systolic and diastolic readings are in different categories?
Use the higher category. For example, a systolic reading in Stage 2 makes the overall reading Stage 2 even if the diastolic reading is lower.
Can one high reading diagnose hypertension?
No. This tool reports the category a reading falls into. A clinician uses repeated measurements and clinical context to make a diagnosis.
What should I do for a hypertensive crisis reading?
A systolic reading above 180 and/or diastolic reading above 120 is a hypertensive crisis category reading. Seek medical care immediately.
Does this chart apply to children?
No. Paediatric blood pressure thresholds are percentile-based on age, sex and height and need a clinician.