Blood Pressure Calculator: Category, Pulse Pressure and a Cholesterol Interpreter
The monitor shows 138 over 88 and the question is always the same: is that still normal or is it already high? The calculator below sorts the measured value into a category under the current European guidelines, calculates the pulse pressure and the mean arterial pressure that cardiologists use as extra indicators, and says how often to check and when it is time for an examination. The second part interprets the lipid profile, because pressure and cholesterol are never assessed separately: together they set the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Blood pressure calculator
Enter the upper and lower pressure measured at rest, ideally as the average of two readings.
Cholesterol and triglyceride interpreter
Enter the values from your lipid profile (fasting, mmol/L).
Categories per the European Society of Hypertension (2023), based on office measurements; home values are borderline at 5 mmHg less (135/85 = 140/90). The result is informative and does not replace an examination.
How to measure blood pressure properly
Half of the "raised" values people bring to an examination were measured wrongly. For the number to mean something:
- sit quietly for 5 minutes, with no coffee, cigarette or exertion in the previous half hour
- back supported, feet on the floor, arm on the table at heart level, cuff on a bare arm and of the right size
- measure twice a minute apart and take the average; the first reading is usually higher
- at home measure in the morning before medicines and in the evening, 7 days in a row, and write down every value
- if the value differs between the two arms, the higher one counts; a difference above 15 mmHg is reported to the doctor
Blood pressure categories
| Category | Systolic (mmHg) | Diastolic (mmHg) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optimal | below 120 | and | below 80 |
| Normal | 120 to 129 | and/or | 80 to 84 |
| High-normal | 130 to 139 | and/or | 85 to 89 |
| Grade 1 hypertension | 140 to 159 | and/or | 90 to 99 |
| Grade 2 hypertension | 160 to 179 | and/or | 100 to 109 |
| Grade 3 hypertension | 180 and above | and/or | 110 and above |
| Isolated systolic hypertension | 140 and above | and | below 90 |
Why "slightly raised" pressure matters
Hypertension does not hurt, and that is the whole problem: for years it damages the arteries, heart, kidneys, retina and brain without a single symptom, so it is often found only at a health check-up or after a stroke. The risk does not start at 140/90 but rises gradually from 115/75: every 20 mmHg more systolic pressure doubles the risk of cardiovascular death. That is why the guidelines keep getting stricter and why high-normal pressure in someone with diabetes, high cholesterol or kidney disease already deserves treatment.
A cardiologist does not treat the number but the risk. At the examination age, smoking, cholesterol, glucose, weight, family history, an ECG and, when needed, an echocardiogram are looked at alongside the pressure, because the same 150/95 in a thirty-year-old without risk factors and in a sixty-year-old with diabetes means two different decisions. Before treatment is started a 24-hour blood pressure Holter is often done, which separates true hypertension from "white-coat hypertension".
Cholesterol and triglyceride interpreter
Cholesterol is entered in mmol/L, as laboratories in Serbia report it. Non-HDL cholesterol the interpreter calculates itself: total minus HDL, increasingly used instead of LDL because it also covers the triglyceride-rich particles. Read the normal values in blood pressure: normal values and table too.
When to see a cardiologist
At the Miren Medic polyclinic a cardiology examination includes an ECG and, when needed, an echocardiogram and a Holter, all in one place and without a referral. Book an examination if:
- pressure is 140/90 or more on two measurements on different days, or 135/85 or more at home
- pressure is high-normal and you have diabetes, kidney disease, high cholesterol or you smoke
- you already take treatment and pressure still exceeds 140/90, or you have side effects
- with the pressure you have palpitations, an irregular pulse, chest pain or breathlessness on exertion
- you are under 40 with hypertension: then a cause is looked for (kidneys, adrenal gland, sleep apnoea)
Examination prices
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Cardiology consultation (Dr Mila Živojinović) | 6.000 RSD |
| Cardiology consultation + heart ultrasound (Dr Mila Živojinović) | 10.000 RSD |
| Cardiology consultation (Prof. Radoslav Romanović) | 10.000 RSD |
| Holter ECG | 7.000 RSD |
| Holter blood pressure monitoring | 6.000 RSD |
Frequently asked questions
What is a normal blood pressure?
Optimal is below 120/80 mmHg, normal up to 129/84, and high-normal 130 to 139 and/or 85 to 89. Hypertension starts at 140/90 measured in the office, or 135/85 at home, on two or more measurements on different days.
What is pulse pressure and what should it be?
The difference between the upper and lower pressure. The usual range is 30 to 60 mmHg. A pulse pressure above 60, typically after 60, suggests stiff arteries and is linked to a higher risk, so the cardiologist takes it into account alongside the numbers themselves.
Is a lower pressure of 90 dangerous?
A diastolic pressure of 90 or more is the threshold of hypertension, even when the upper one is normal. In younger people an isolated raised lower pressure is a common form and needs an examination, because it most often comes with obesity, stress, alcohol or sleep apnoea.
How often should blood pressure be measured?
With normal values once every 3 to 5 years, and after 40 once a year. With high-normal pressure and on treatment, home measurement 7 days in a row, morning and evening, before every check-up is useful.
What to do when the pressure is 180/110?
Sit down, stay calm and repeat the measurement after 10 minutes. If it is still 180/110 or more, or you have severe chest pain or headache, visual disturbance, breathlessness, confusion or weakness of one side of the body, call emergency services. Without symptoms book an examination within a few days.
