Target Blood Pressure Calculator

About this calculator

Different major cardiology guidelines set slightly different blood pressure targets depending on a patient’s age and health conditions: the ACC/AHA 2017 guideline generally recommends under 130/80 mmHg for most adults, the European ESC/ESH guideline traditionally used under 140/90 with lower targets for higher-risk patients, and the older JNC 8 guideline set looser thresholds, especially for adults over 60. Of the three, only JNC 8 reads diabetes or chronic kidney disease: with either condition it sets 140/90 mmHg at any age, which tightens the target only for adults 60 and over (whose default is otherwise 150/90); the ACC/AHA target here is 130/80 across the board and ESC/ESH varies with age alone.

These differences matter in practice because a reading of, say, 135/85 mmHg is “at goal” under one guideline and “above goal” under another, and clinicians choose which guideline to follow based on patient age, comorbidities and regional practice — a discrepancy patients often notice when comparing notes with a doctor in a different country or reading online sources that cite different guidelines without saying which one. Knowing your target under a specific guideline, rather than a single one-size-fits-all number, is what tells you and your care team whether your current reading actually needs treatment adjustment.

Select your guideline and enter your age, diabetes and kidney disease status along with your current reading, and this calculator shows your target blood pressure and how far your reading sits from it.