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Hypertension Stages & Treatment Reference Cheat Sheet
A printable reference covering blood pressure measurement, hypertension stages, crisis thresholds, MAP, lifestyle treatment, and medication classes for grades 10-12.
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This cheat sheet covers how blood pressure is measured, how hypertension is staged, and how treatment choices are commonly organized in medical science. Students need it because hypertension is common, often has no symptoms, and is a major risk factor for stroke, heart attack, kidney disease, and vision damage. The reference helps connect numbers on a blood pressure cuff with body systems, risk levels, and basic treatment goals. The core idea is that blood pressure is written as systolic pressure over diastolic pressure in mm Hg. Stages are based on the higher-risk value, so either a high systolic or high diastolic reading can place a person in a higher category. Treatment usually starts with accurate measurement and lifestyle changes, then may include medication depending on the stage and overall cardiovascular risk. Hypertensive crisis readings need urgent medical attention, especially if symptoms are present.
Key Facts
- Blood pressure is written as SBP/DBP, where SBP is systolic pressure and DBP is diastolic pressure, measured in mm Hg.
- Normal adult blood pressure is SBP less than 120 and DBP less than 80, written as less than 120/80 mm Hg.
- Elevated blood pressure is SBP 120 to 129 and DBP less than 80, which means lifestyle changes are recommended.
- Stage 1 hypertension is SBP 130 to 139 or DBP 80 to 89, and treatment depends on cardiovascular risk and repeated readings.
- Stage 2 hypertension is SBP at least 140 or DBP at least 90, and it often requires lifestyle changes plus medication.
- Hypertensive crisis is SBP greater than 180 and/or DBP greater than 120, and it requires prompt medical evaluation.
- Mean arterial pressure can be estimated with MAP = DBP + 1/3(SBP - DBP).
- Common treatment foundations include lower sodium intake, regular physical activity, weight management, limiting alcohol, stopping tobacco use, and taking prescribed medicine correctly.
Vocabulary
- Systolic blood pressure
- The pressure in arteries when the heart contracts and pushes blood into the circulation.
- Diastolic blood pressure
- The pressure in arteries when the heart relaxes between beats.
- Hypertension
- A long-term condition in which blood pressure is consistently above the healthy range.
- Mean arterial pressure
- An estimate of the average pressure driving blood through the arteries during one cardiac cycle.
- Cardiovascular risk
- The chance of developing heart or blood vessel disease based on factors such as age, smoking, diabetes, cholesterol, and blood pressure.
- Antihypertensive medication
- A medicine used to lower blood pressure and reduce strain on the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and brain.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Classifying only by the systolic number is wrong because the diastolic number can also place a person in a higher hypertension stage.
- Calling one high reading a diagnosis is wrong because blood pressure can rise from stress, pain, caffeine, exercise, or poor measurement technique.
- Using the wrong cuff size is wrong because a cuff that is too small can falsely raise the reading and a cuff that is too large can falsely lower it.
- Ignoring a reading above 180/120 is dangerous because hypertensive crisis can damage organs and needs prompt medical evaluation.
- Stopping blood pressure medicine when readings improve is wrong because the medicine may be the reason the readings are controlled.
Practice Questions
- 1 A patient has a blood pressure of 118/76 mm Hg. What blood pressure category is this?
- 2 A patient has a blood pressure of 136/84 mm Hg. What hypertension stage is this, and which value supports your answer?
- 3 Estimate MAP for a blood pressure of 150/90 mm Hg using MAP = DBP + 1/3(SBP - DBP).
- 4 Why should clinicians confirm high blood pressure with repeated accurate measurements before diagnosing hypertension?