How MyBodyResearch Works: Sources and Methods

MyBodyResearch turns your body's numbers — blood pressure, BMI, waist and cholesterol — into plain-language reports with a concrete plan. Since 2020 we have helped readers understand what their measurements mean.

How readings are classified

• Blood pressure — 2025 AHA/ACC guideline (American Heart Association / American College of Cardiology; its categories are unchanged from 2017): normal < 120/80, elevated 120–129/< 80, stage 1 130–139 or 80–89, stage 2 ≥ 140 or ≥ 90, crisis range > 180 and/or > 120; the higher category of the two numbers counts. Low blood pressure (a common label, not an AHA/ACC category): systolic below 90 or diastolic below 60 when the other number is not raised — very low below 70 systolic or 40 diastolic, clearly low 70–79 or 40–49. A reading with one raised and one low number is rated by the raised one.
• Path to target — average systolic reductions from the 2017 ACC/AHA table of lifestyle interventions (separate figures for people with and without hypertension); shown as a range because combined effects are not fully additive. When only the diastolic number is raised, we list the measures without a figure.
• Mean arterial pressure (MAP) = diastolic + ⅓ × (systolic − diastolic). We rate a MAP under 65 as low, 65–69 as on the low side, 70–100 as typical and over 100 as raised. Pulse pressure = systolic − diastolic; under 25 counts as narrow, 25–29 as slightly narrow, 30–60 as usual and over 60 as wide.
• BMI — CDC/WHO adult categories; waist-to-height ratio — NICE 2022 (0.5 boundary); cholesterol — NCEP ATP III cut-offs, LDL by the Friedewald formula (not shown when triglycerides are 400 mg/dL or more, or when it comes out below 40 mg/dL).

Sources: 2025 AHA/ACC high blood pressure guideline (Hypertension 2025;82:e212–e316) · American Heart Association: When to call 911 about high blood pressure · MedlinePlus: Low blood pressure · Validated device listing (validatebp.org) · CDC: Adult BMI categories · NICE CG189: Obesity — identification, assessment and management · NCEP ATP III executive summary (NHLBI, PDF)

Our editorial process

Every article starts from current clinical guidelines and systematic reviews. We write in plain English and check each piece against its sources before it goes live.

If the evidence shifts, we revise the article and change its review date to match. MyBodyResearch sells no supplements or devices, and advertising has no influence on what we publish.

The limits of a website

One reading captures a single moment. A diagnosis of high blood pressure rests on several measurements taken over time, and whether to treat it depends on your overall risk. Everything we publish is general education rather than medical advice. If you have chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, numbness or weakness, vision or speech problems, confusion or a severe headache with a reading above 180/120, call 911 (US) or your local emergency number.

Your readings stay private

We don't save the readings you check; the checker just loads the page for that reading. The privacy policy has the full details.

Publisher

EPSILON WEBCRAFTS LLC, based in Lexington, KY 40507, USA, publishes MyBodyResearch. Our most recent editorial review was on 2026-10-25. If you spot a mistake, please tell us about it.