NHA Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)Clinical Patient CareHard
A medical assistant is reviewing a patient's medical record and notes a blood pressure reading of 142/92 mmHg. According to the American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines, this reading classifies the patient as having which of the following?
- AStage 2 hypertension
- BElevated blood pressure
- CNormal blood pressure
- DStage 1 hypertension
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Stage 2 hypertension
According to the American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines, Stage 2 hypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg or higher OR a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or higher. A reading of 142/92 mmHg falls into this category because both values meet or exceed the criteria for Stage 2.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Elevated blood pressure is 120-129/<80 mmHg.
- C. Normal blood pressure is <120/<80 mmHg.
- D. Stage 1 hypertension is 130-139 systolic OR 80-89 diastolic.
AHA Blood Pressure Classification
Categorization of blood pressure readings based on systolic and diastolic measurements, according to American Heart Association guidelines.
- Normal: <120/<80.
- Elevated: 120-129/<80.
- Stage 1 HTN: 130-139 or 80-89.
- Stage 2 HTN: >=140 or >=90.
Memory trick: BP Zones: Normal's Nice, Elevate, Stage One, Stage Two!