Blood Pressure
The force of blood against arterial walls, reported as systolic over diastolic in mmHg. Optimal range: Normal below 120/80 mmHg; treat to below 130/80, with the 2025 AHA guideline encouraging below 120 systolic where tolerated.
What it measures
The force of blood against arterial walls, reported as systolic over diastolic in mmHg. The most widely tracked cardiovascular vital sign.
Why it matters
Hypertension is the leading modifiable risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease worldwide. Small reductions across the population prevent large numbers of events.
Optimal ranges
Sourced targets, not just lab reference ranges. Lab ranges describe the population; these describe where the evidence says you want to be.
| Range | Context |
|---|---|
| Normal below 120/80 mmHg; treat to below 130/80, with the 2025 AHA guideline encouraging below 120 systolic where tolerated | AHA 2025 hypertension guideline: normal below 120/80, target below 130/80 with encouragement toward below 120. ESC 2024 similarly targets 120-129 systolic for most treated patients. |
How to improve it
- 1
Aerobic exercise plus resistance training
- 2
Reduce sodium, increase potassium-rich foods
- 3
Lose excess weight: even 5% loss lowers pressure
- 4
Limit alcohol, quit smoking, manage stress and sleep
Connected to
Goals
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Educational information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before acting on any biomarker result.