Instructions / Assembly

6
GENERAL BLOOD PRESSURE INFORMATION (continued)
Why Monitor Your Blood Pressure at Home?
A visit to a physician’s office can be stressful for the patient and anxiety is a known factor in
raising blood pressure. This temporary occurrence of elevated blood pressure at the physician’s
office is commonly referred to as “white coat syndrome.”
Whether or not you experience “white coat syndrome,” home blood pressure monitoring provides
you with the opportunity to supplement measurements taken at your physician’s office. These
home readings, when taken over a period of time, can show an accurate indication of change.
Furthermore, your records can assist your physician in evaluating your health and in making
important decisions in the diagnosis and treatment of your condition. Because of this, it is
important to take consistent daily measurements of your blood pressure.
The variations in your individual readings should only be interpreted by your physician or a trained
healthcare professional.
WHO Blood Pressure Classifications
Standards for assessment of high or low blood pressure have been established by the World
Health Organization (WHO) as shown on the following chart:
This chart is only a general guideline. Contact your physician or trained healthcare
professional to determine your NORMAL blood pressure.
Category
Systolic
(mmHg)
Diastolic
(mmHg)
Color
Indicator
Optimal <120 <80 Green
Normal 120–129 80–84 Green
High - Normal 130–139 85-89 Green
Stage 1 - Mild
Borderline Hypertension 140–159 90–99 Yellow
Stage 2 - Moderate
Hypertension 160–179 100-109 Orange
Stage 3 - Severe Hypertension ≥180 ≥110 Red
Isolated Systolic Hypertension ≥140 <90
140–159 <90 Yellow
160–179 <90 Orange
≥180 <90 Red