Question 1

What is the difference between systolic and diastolic pressure?

Accepted Answer

Systolic (the higher number) is the pressure in your arteries the moment your heart contracts and pumps blood. Diastolic (the lower number) is the pressure between beats, when the heart relaxes and refills. Both are measured in mmHg and shown together, like 120/80.

Question 2

Is this calculator's result a diagnosis of hypertension?

Accepted Answer

No. It is an educational classification of a single reading, following the bands from the Brazilian Hypertension Guideline. A hypertension diagnosis requires repeated measurements, on different occasions, evaluated by a health professional, not a single reading taken at home.

Question 3

What are mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pulse pressure?

Accepted Answer

Mean arterial pressure (MAP) estimates the average pressure your blood exerts on artery walls across a full heartbeat cycle, calculated as diastolic plus one third of the difference between systolic and diastolic. Pulse pressure is simply the difference between systolic and diastolic: values around 40 mmHg are typical in healthy adults, while a very wide pulse pressure (60 mmHg or more) often signals stiffer arteries, especially in older adults.

Question 4

What should I do about a hypertensive crisis (180/120 mmHg or higher)?

Accepted Answer

A reading of 180 mmHg or higher systolic and/or 120 mmHg or higher diastolic is a hypertensive crisis and needs immediate attention. If you also have chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, numbness, weakness, vision changes, or trouble speaking, seek emergency care right now, this can be a hypertensive emergency with a risk of organ damage. Without those symptoms, still seek medical care as soon as possible to reassess your pressure and treatment.

Question 5

Why doesn't the calculator classify a child's blood pressure?

Accepted Answer

Because in children and teens there is no fixed "normal" band like there is for adults: the expected value changes with age, sex, and height, and the correct classification uses specific percentile charts. Applying the adult table to a child can give a wrong result, so the tool asks that pediatric classification be done with a pediatrician instead.

Question 6

How do I measure blood pressure correctly at home?

Accepted Answer

Sit with your back supported and feet flat on the floor for at least 5 minutes before measuring, without having smoked, had coffee, or exercised in the previous half hour. Rest your arm at heart height, with the cuff directly on bare skin, and avoid talking during the measurement. Take two readings a minute apart, morning and evening, for at least a few days in a row: that series is what forms the home average your doctor uses, more reliable than a single office reading.

Question 7

Is it normal for blood pressure to differ between the left and right arm?

Accepted Answer

A small difference is common and usually not clinically important. But a difference of 10 mmHg or more in systolic pressure between arms is considered clinically relevant in the medical literature and can point to a narrowing in one side's blood vessels, it is worth measuring both arms at least once and mentioning a large gap to a doctor.

Question 8

Why does the final category use the higher of systolic and diastolic, instead of their average?

Accepted Answer

Because either one, on its own, already carries the cardiovascular risk of the band it falls in. A reading of 150 over 70 mmHg has a normal diastolic, but the systolic alone already sits in stage 1, so classifying by the average or by diastolic alone would hide that risk, this is actually a common mistake in blood pressure calculators out there.

Blood Pressure Calculator