According to guidelines, which blood pressure value is considered high blood pressure?

• A. 120/80
• B. 130/85
• C. 140/90
• D. 150/95

Answer: (C)

The key idea is understanding the threshold that defines high blood pressure. Blood pressure has two numbers: systolic (the top number, pressure during a heartbeat) and diastolic (the bottom number, pressure between beats). Traditional guidelines classify hypertension as a systolic reading of 140 or higher or a diastolic reading of 90 or higher. Among the options, 140/90 meets that boundary exactly, so it’s considered high blood pressure. A reading of 120/80 is normal, 130/85 is below the hypertension threshold (often labeled elevated or prehypertension in older schemes), and 150/95 would also be high but represents a higher level beyond the threshold. In practice, recognizing this boundary helps you assess safety for massage; if a client has hypertension, you’d consider medical clearance for extreme readings and adjust techniques or positioning accordingly.