Two numbers, and most people only remember the first. Both matter.
The top one is the pressure while your heart pushes blood out. The bottom one is the pressure while it refills. A reading of 128 over 78 means both, in millimetres of mercury.
Broadly, under 120 over 80 is ideal, up to 140 over 90 in a clinic is the normal range, and consistently above that is treated as high blood pressure. Home readings run slightly lower, so the thresholds shift down a little.
Blood pressure moves all day. It rises when you are rushed, in pain, cold, or sitting in a clinic being measured, which has its own name — white coat effect. A single high reading is a reason to measure again, not a diagnosis.
Free for anyone 40 and over. It takes a few minutes. If your reading is high, we offer 24-hour monitoring, which records automatically through a normal day and night and gives a far more honest picture than a snapshot at a counter.
No coffee or cigarette for half an hour, empty your bladder, and sit still for five minutes first. Wear something with a sleeve that rolls up easily.
We use essential cookies to make the site work — things like your basket, sign-in and secure checkout. With your permission we’d also like to use analytics cookies to understand how the site is used and improve it. See our cookie policy.
