Blood pressure

Understanding your blood pressure numbers

What the two numbers mean, what counts as high and how to take a reliable reading at home.

By

Ruth Pellow

· Reviewed

An open notebook for logging blood pressure readings next to a cup of tea

The top number is the pressure when your heart beats, and the bottom number is the pressure between beats.

A reading of 140/90 or higher in the pharmacy may mean high blood pressure. We usually confirm it with home readings.

Sit quietly for five minutes, rest your arm on a table and take two readings a minute apart.

This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. In an emergency call 999.

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