What Is the Normal Blood Pressure for Each Age?
A common misconception is that normal blood pressure has a different target for every age. For adults, current American Heart Association guidance uses the same categories across adulthood, rather than saying that higher blood pressure is automatically normal after 60, 70, or 80.
🩺 Adult blood-pressure chart
| Reading | Category |
|---|---|
| Below 120/80 | Normal |
| 120–129 and below 80 | Elevated |
| 130–139 or 80–89 | Stage 1 hypertension |
| 140 or higher or 90 or higher | Stage 2 hypertension |
| Over 180 and/or over 120 | Severe hypertension; urgent assessment is needed |
So, for example, 150/90 isn’t considered “normal for someone over 70” simply because of age.
👶 What about children?
Children are different. Normal blood pressure depends on age, sex and height, so there isn’t one simple adult-style number for every child. Pediatric clinicians use age- and height-specific percentiles
