A reading of 142/92 mmHg corresponds to which BP category?

• A. Elevated BP
• B. Stage 2 hypertension
• C. Stage 1 hypertension
• D. Normal BP

Answer: (B)

A reading like 142/92 mmHg shows high blood pressure that meets the thresholds for Stage 2 hypertension. Stage 2 is defined as a systolic pressure of 140 or higher or a diastolic pressure of 90 or higher. Here, the systolic is 142 (above 140) and the diastolic is 92 (above 90), so it clearly falls into Stage 2.

Normal is below 120/80, and elevated is 120-129 systolic with diastolic under 80. Stage 1 is 130-139 systolic or 80-89 diastolic. Since both values exceed the Stage 2 thresholds, this reading isn’t Normal, Elevated, or Stage 1. In real practice, multiple readings on different occasions are used to diagnose hypertension, but this single measurement already meets Stage 2 criteria.