Is 130 over 80 high blood pressure?
130/80 is stage 1 high blood pressure in the US system and high-normal in the system used in most other countries. Both agree it is above ideal and not an emergency.
What decides anything is the average of home readings over a week, morning and evening, seated after five minutes of rest. One 130/80 at the clinic means little.
At this level the first treatment is habits: less salt, more walking, less alcohol, and weight if that applies. Tablets are considered if the average stays here and you have diabetes, kidney disease or a high heart risk score.
Source: American Heart Association, understanding blood pressure readings
See a doctor promptly if
- A reading of 180/120 mmHg or higher with chest pain, breathlessness, weakness on one side, slurred speech, confusion or sudden visual change. This is an emergency
- Blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or higher in pregnancy, especially with headache, upper abdominal pain, visual disturbance or sudden swelling
- A repeated reading of 180/120 mmHg or higher even without symptoms. This needs same-day medical assessment
- New severe headache, nosebleeds that will not stop, or breathlessness lying flat alongside high readings
- Blood in the urine, or a sharp fall in how much urine you pass, together with high readings
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Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS · How we review
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