Plain language
Every term you'll see on your dashboard, explained in everyday words — including what the top and bottom blood pressure numbers actually measure.
Two numbers written as top/bottom, like 120/80. The top number (systolic) is the pressure while your heart squeezes. The bottom number (diastolic) is the pressure while your heart relaxes between beats.
Normal is under 120 on top and under 80 on the bottom (mmHg).
High pressure over time strains the heart, brain and kidneys, usually without any symptoms.
Source: ACC/AHA
The pressure in your arteries at the moment your heart beats and pushes blood out.
Normal under 120 mmHg; 130 or higher is considered high blood pressure.
Source: ACC/AHA
The pressure in your arteries while your heart rests between beats.
Normal under 80 mmHg; 80 or higher is considered high blood pressure.
Source: ACC/AHA
Millimeters of mercury — the unit blood pressure is measured in. It comes from the old mercury gauges and is still the standard today.
Blood pressure that stays higher than the healthy range. Elevated is 120–129 on top. Stage 1 is 130–139 on top or 80–89 on the bottom. Stage 2 is 140 or higher on top or 90 or higher on the bottom.
Your provider looks at the average of several readings, not one single number.
Source: ACC/AHA
How many times your heart beats in one minute, measured while you are resting.
A typical resting heart rate for adults is 60–100 beats per minute (bpm).
Very fast or very slow rates, especially with dizziness or chest discomfort, are worth reporting.
Source: AHA
Your pulse is the beat you can feel at your wrist or the number your blood pressure cuff shows. For most people it is the same as your heart rate.
The percentage of your red blood cells carrying oxygen, measured with a small clip on your fingertip.
Usually 95–100% for healthy adults at sea level.
Cold hands, nail polish and movement can make the reading look falsely low.
Source: AHA
How many breaths you take in one minute while resting quietly.
Typically 12–20 breaths per minute for adults.
The amount of sugar in your blood right now, measured in mg/dL. It changes through the day, so the timing matters — before a meal, after a meal, or at bedtime.
Common targets: 80–130 mg/dL before meals and under 180 mg/dL two hours after a meal.
Source: American Diabetes Association
Measured after not eating or drinking anything but water for at least 8 hours, usually first thing in the morning.
Milligrams per deciliter — the unit used for blood sugar and cholesterol in the United States.
A lab test that shows your average blood sugar over the past 2–3 months, reported as a percentage.
Under 5.7% is normal, 5.7–6.4% is prediabetes, 6.5% or higher suggests diabetes. Many adults with diabetes aim for under 7%.
Source: American Diabetes Association
Your body weight, best measured at the same time of day, on the same scale, in similar clothing.
A quick gain of several pounds in a few days can mean fluid retention and is worth telling your provider.
Source: AHA
Your body temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.
Around 98.6°F is typical; 100.4°F or higher is usually considered a fever.
What you feel — headache, dizziness, swelling, shortness of breath. Logging symptoms next to your numbers helps your provider connect the two.
How much of your prescribed medicine you actually take, shown as the share of your logged doses marked taken.
Providers ask about this because missed doses are one of the most common reasons numbers stay high.
Body mass index — a number calculated from your height and weight, used as a rough screening measure. It does not account for muscle or body shape.
Blood pressure that reads higher in a clinic than it does at home, often from nerves. This is why home readings are so useful.
Source: ACC/AHA
All your readings for a period added together and divided by how many there are. Guidelines judge blood pressure on averages, not single readings.
These explanations are for education only and are not medical advice or a diagnosis. Talk with your healthcare provider about your own readings.
