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Pulse Pressure Calculator

Find your pulse pressure from systolic and diastolic

Result

46 mmHg
1.56

How it is calculated

Enter the two numbers from a blood pressure reading in mmHg: systolic (the top number) and diastolic (the bottom number). The tool calculates pulse pressure = systolic − diastolic and the ratio systolic ÷ diastolic. The pulse pressure is shown as a whole number of mmHg and the ratio to two decimals. Both values must be greater than zero, and systolic cannot be lower than diastolic: if you swap them, the tool returns nothing instead of a negative number. Equal values are accepted and give 0 mmHg and a ratio of 1.00. The tool does not judge the figures or say whether a reading is normal; interpretation depends on age, health and repeated measurements, and belongs to a clinician.

Worked example

A home monitor shows 128/82 mmHg. Subtract the diastolic from the systolic: 128 − 82 = 46. The pulse pressure is 46 mmHg. For the ratio, divide 128 by 82, which gives 1.561..., shown as 1.56.

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Common mistakes

  • Swapping the two numbers. Systolic is always the larger top number, and entering 82 first and 128 second returns no result.
  • Entering the mean arterial pressure or the pulse rate (beats per minute) in place of one of the pressures. Pulse pressure is not the pulse rate.
  • Basing a conclusion on one reading. Blood pressure varies through the day, so a single pair of numbers says little.
  • Mixing units, for example kPa for one number and mmHg for the other. Both must be in mmHg.
  • Reading the ratio as a second pressure. It is a dimensionless comparison with no unit.

Sources

About this calculator

This calculator subtracts diastolic from systolic blood pressure to get pulse pressure (PP = SBP − DBP), the force your heart generates with each beat as blood surges through the arteries, and also reports the systolic-to-diastolic ratio. A normal resting pulse pressure sits around 40 mmHg; a reading persistently above 60 mmHg (a "widened" pulse pressure) or below 25 mmHg (a "narrow" one) is a pattern doctors flag for further evaluation.

Clinicians use pulse pressure alongside the raw blood pressure numbers because a widened PP is an independent marker of arterial stiffness and cardiovascular risk in older adults, while a narrow PP can signal reduced stroke volume, as in heart failure or blood loss. Home blood pressure monitor users track it over time to spot trends their doctor may want to discuss, not to self-diagnose.

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Comments (1)

  • Editorial team

    The figure is only the gap, so it says nothing about the level of the pressures: 120/80 and 160/120 both give 40 mmHg. The ratio line (1.50 for 120/80) shows the same readings from another angle. Bring a log of several readings to a clinician rather than judging from one. Which other blood-pressure figure, such as mean arterial pressure, would you like to see?

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