Blood Pressure Checker
Enter your reading and find out what it means in plain English — which NHS category you fall into, what the risks are, and what to do next.
Enter your blood pressure reading
Use a reading taken at rest, after 5 minutes of sitting quietly. If you have multiple readings, use an average.
Systolic
Top number — pressure when heart beats
mmHg · range: 60–220
Diastolic
Bottom number — pressure between beats
mmHg · range: 40–140
Tips for an accurate reading
- →Sit quietly for 5 minutes before measuring
- →Keep your arm at heart level, feet flat on the floor
- →Avoid caffeine, exercise, or smoking for 30 minutes beforehand
- →Take two or three readings and use the average
- →Measure at the same time of day for consistency
Pulse pressure
40 mmHg
Normal range (40–60 mmHg)
Mean arterial pressure
93 mmHg
Normal range (70–100 mmHg)
In the normal range. No cause for concern, though slightly above the ideal range. Maintaining a healthy weight, staying active, and eating a low-salt diet helps keep it here.
What to do
No action needed. Continue with healthy habits and check periodically — once a year is reasonable for most adults over 40.
NHS systolic range reference
This tool is for information only. A single reading is not enough for a diagnosis — blood pressure varies throughout the day. Speak to a GP or pharmacist for a clinical assessment.
Understanding blood pressure
What do the two numbers mean?
Blood pressure is measured as two numbers. The top number (systolic) is the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. The bottom number (diastolic) is the pressure between beats, when your heart is resting. Both matter — high blood pressure can be driven by either number, or both.
Why high blood pressure is called the silent killer
Most people with high blood pressure have no symptoms. It does not hurt. You cannot feel it. That is why it causes so much damage — it quietly damages blood vessels, the heart, kidneys, and brain over years without any warning signs. Around 1 in 4 adults in the UK has high blood pressure, and many do not know it.
What raises blood pressure?
- → High salt intake — the biggest dietary driver
- → Being overweight, especially carrying weight around the abdomen
- → Low physical activity
- → Alcohol — more than 14 units per week raises blood pressure significantly
- → Smoking — causes immediate spikes and long-term vascular damage
- → Chronic stress
- → Family history and age
- → Some medications (NSAIDs, decongestants, some contraceptives)
What actually lowers blood pressure?
The most effective lifestyle changes — each capable of reducing systolic blood pressure by 5–10 mmHg:
- → Reducing salt to under 6g per day
- → Regular aerobic exercise (30 minutes, 5 days a week)
- → Losing weight if overweight
- → Cutting alcohol
- → Stopping smoking
- → The DASH diet (high in fruit, veg, wholegrains, low-fat dairy)
One reading is not a diagnosis
Blood pressure varies throughout the day — it is higher in the morning, lower at rest, and spikes with stress or caffeine. A single high reading does not mean you have hypertension. NICE recommends taking an average of several readings, ideally using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) over 24 hours, before making a diagnosis.