Blood Pressure 157 over 137 - what do these values mean?
No. 157/137 is in the range of hypertension stage 3 (grade 3). Rest 5 minutes and measure again; if it stays this high, act now — see below.
- International (ESH)Hypertension stage 3
- US guideline (ACC/AHA)Hypertensive crisis range
- Pulse pressure20 mmHg
- Mean arterial pressure144 mmHg
What to do now
- Sit quietly for 5 minutes and measure again.
- Still at 180/110 or above AND chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, numbness or weakness, vision changes or difficulty speaking? Call 911 (US) or your local emergency number — this can be a hypertensive emergency.
- Still this high without symptoms? Contact your doctor the same day. Do not take extra doses of medication on your own.
The diastolic (lower) number decides: on its own your systolic value of 157 would be hypertension stage 1. When the two numbers fall into different categories, the higher one counts.
Blood pressure 157/137 on the blood pressure chart
- Low blood pressure
- Ideal (optimal)
- Normal
- High normal
- Hypertension stage 1
- Hypertension stage 2
- Hypertension stage 3
Read more about this category: Hypertension stage 3.
International and US categories
| International (ESH) | Range | US (ACC/AHA) |
|---|---|---|
| Ideal (optimal) | < 120 and < 80 | Normal |
| Normal | 120–129 and/or 80–84 | Elevated / stage 1 |
| High normal | 130–139 and/or 85–89 | Stage 1 |
| Stage 1 (grade 1) | 140–159 and/or 90–99 | Stage 2 |
| Stage 2 (grade 2) | 160–179 and/or 100–109 | Stage 2 |
| Stage 3 (grade 3) | ≥ 180 and/or ≥ 110 | Stage 2 / crisis > 180/120 |
| Low | < 90 or < 60 | Low |
International categories: European Society of Hypertension (ESH) 2023, office readings. Home readings use lower thresholds — hypertension from an average of 135/85.
Pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure
A pulse pressure of 20 mmHg is narrow — re-check the reading; persistently, it can point to heart problems. Mean arterial pressure — the average pressure perfusing your organs — is about 144 mmHg (normal roughly 70–100).
Measure it right
- No caffeine, exercise or smoking for 30 minutes; empty your bladder.
- Sit with back supported, feet flat, for 5 minutes. Don't talk.
- Upper-arm cuff of the right size on bare skin, arm supported at heart level.
- Two readings a minute apart, morning and evening, for 7 days — use the average.
Details: Measuring Blood Pressure Correctly: Step by Step
Check another reading
Nearby readings
Sources: European Society of Hypertension (ESH) 2023 guideline (international categories) and 2017 ACC/AHA guideline (US categories). Reviewed by the BloodPressureOK editorial team · last reviewed October 25, 2026.
This page explains one reading in general terms. High blood pressure is diagnosed from repeated measurements. Not medical advice — talk to your doctor about your readings.