Blood pressure report · US guideline

My Blood Pressure is 173/60 - good or bad?

173/60

mmHg

Stage 2 hypertension

Systolic (upper)173 stage 2

Diastolic (lower)60 normal

Each scale rates one number on its own; the higher category counts. Blue = low (systolic under 90 or diastolic under 60) — a common label, not an AHA/ACC category.

What this reading tells you

This reading is in the stage 2 range. If your average stays here, your arteries are under clearly higher strain than they should be — this is the level where doctors usually start medication alongside lifestyle changes.

Your systolic number is the one that sets the category here — the other one alone would rate as normal.

Next step: see your doctor within about a month, and bring a week of home readings (log below).

Your path to target

Tick the changes you could realistically make. The estimate uses the average systolic reductions measured in clinical trials in people with high blood pressure. Combined changes help more, but not fully additively — so we show a range.

Eat the DASH way (vegetables, fruit, low-fat dairy, whole grains) −11 mmHg
Cut sodium by at least 1,000 mg a day −5 mmHg
Get 3,500–5,000 mg potassium from food −4 mmHg
90–150 minutes of aerobic exercise a week −5 mmHg
Isometric training (e.g. wall sits) 3× a week −5 mmHg
Lose about 5 kg (11 lb) if overweight −5 mmHg
Drink no more than 1–2 drinks a day −4 mmHg

Today173

Possible systolic173

Target for most adults: below 130/80.

How the measures work: Home Remedies for High Blood Pressure That Work · the DASH plan. If you take medication, these changes add to its effect.

Know your numbers

Mean arterial pressure98 mmHg

The average pressure that keeps your organs supplied — diastolic plus one third of the gap. Typical — within the usual range of 70–100.

Pulse pressure113 mmHg

Wide. A gap above 60 usually means the large arteries have lost some elasticity — common after 60 and a reason to keep the systolic number in check.

Questions to ask your doctor

Which medication do you recommend, and what side effects should I watch for?
Should we start with a combination pill?
Do I need tests of my kidneys, heart or eyes?
How soon should we re-check after starting treatment?

Your 7-day home check

One reading can mislead. Measure twice each morning (before medication and coffee) and evening for a week, skip day 1, and average the rest. Print this log or copy it. How to measure: How to Check Your Blood Pressure at Home.

Day	AM 1	AM 2	PM 1	PM 2
1*
2
3
4
5
6
7

AM = morning, PM = evening, two readings one minute apart. *Day 1 is practice — leave it out of the average.

Print this page · Home average of 130/80 or higher counts as hypertension.

Look up another reading

Readings close to 173/60

Sources: 2025 AHA/ACC high blood pressure guideline (Hypertension 2025;82:e212–e316) · American Heart Association: When to call 911 about high blood pressure

MyBodyResearch explains readings in general terms; it does not diagnose. High blood pressure is confirmed with repeated measurements, and treatment decisions belong with your doctor.