AHA Guidelines for Hypertension

The American Heart Association promotes awareness and provides resources to reduce cardiovascular disease in the United States. As part of that goal, the AHA provides guidelines regarding healthy blood pressure levels.

What is Hypertension?

• Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a condition that makes it more difficult for the heart to pump blood through the body. Without treatment, hypertension can damage the arteries and lead to heart failure.

Systolic Number

• This top number in a blood pressure reading refers to how much force is required to pump the blood with each heart beat. According to the AHA, this number should be less than 120 mm/Hg. A reading of over 140 mm/Hg is considered high. A number between 120 and 140 mm/Hg is consider pre-hypertension.

Diastolic Number

• This bottom number in a blood pressure reading refers to how much pressure remains in the arteries between heart beats. The AHA recommends diastolic readings be under 80 mm/Hg. Anything between 80 and 89 mm/Hg is pre-hypertension. Numbers over 80 mm/Hg suggest high blood pressure.

Children & High Blood Pressure

• The AHA does not have specific guidelines of high blood pressure for children. Appropriate levels are determined by the child's growth, age and gender. However, they do recommend yearly blood pressure tests for any child over the age of 3.

Sodium Intake Guidelines

• One factor found in patients who have high blood pressure is a high sodium intake in their diets. The AHA recommends that patients who have hypertension consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, preferably less than 1,500 mg for patients at high risk of heart disease.