What blood pressure reading is classified as stage 1 hypertension?

The stage 1 hypertension classification is defined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines. According to these guidelines, stage 1 hypertension is identified when blood pressure readings are in the range of 130-139 mmHg for systolic pressure or 80-89 mmHg for diastolic pressure.

In this case, a reading of 148/96 falls within the specified ranges for stage 1 hypertension, as the systolic pressure at 148 mmHg exceeds the upper limit of 139 mmHg, and the diastolic pressure at 96 mmHg is above the threshold of 89 mmHg used for classification. Therefore, this reading clearly qualifies for stage 1 hypertension.

Other readings, such as 130/80, fit within the normal range for systolic but might indicate stage 1 diastolic if the diastolic were a bit higher, making it insufficient as a definite classification. A reading of 140/90 is on the cusp but still valid for stage 1 classification. The highest reading of 160/100 is classified as stage 2 hypertension, which exceeds the stage 1 threshold. Thus, 148/96 is distinctly categorized under stage