A blood pressure of 106/71 mmHg is a good reading. It falls squarely in the “Normal” category according to the 2025 guidelines from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology, which define normal blood pressure as below 120/80 mmHg. Both your top number (systolic) and bottom number (diastolic) are well within the healthy range, and this reading is nowhere near the threshold for high blood pressure, which starts at 130/80.
What 106/71 Actually Tells You
The top number, 106, measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats and pushes blood out. The bottom number, 71, measures the pressure between beats, when your heart is resting. Both numbers matter, and both of yours are in a comfortable zone: high enough to circulate blood effectively, low enough that your blood vessels aren’t under strain.
The gap between the two numbers is called pulse pressure. Yours is 35 mmHg (106 minus 71). A normal pulse pressure is around 40 mmHg, and anything that drops below one-quarter of your systolic reading (which would be about 26.5 in your case) is considered narrow. At 35, your pulse pressure is slightly below average but well above that threshold, so it’s not a concern.
Could 106/71 Be Too Low?
Some people wonder whether a reading in the low 100s is too low. The short answer: low blood pressure is only a problem if it causes symptoms. There’s no firm cutoff number the way there is for high blood pressure. What feels fine for one person might leave another feeling lightheaded.
Signs that your blood pressure is actually too low for your body include dizziness, blurred or fading vision, fainting, fatigue, trouble concentrating, and nausea. If you regularly feel any of these, especially when standing up, the reading is worth mentioning to a doctor. But if you feel fine at 106/71, this is simply a healthy blood pressure for you.
One thing to watch for is sudden drops. A change of just 20 mmHg can cause dizziness or fainting even if the final number looks “normal” on paper. So if you normally run around 130 and suddenly see 106, pay attention to how you feel, even though the number itself is fine.
Does Age Change the Picture?
The current guidelines apply the same blood pressure targets to all adults regardless of age. Older guidelines used to set a higher threshold for people over 65 (150/80 instead of 140/90), but that distinction was dropped in 2017 after large-scale research showed that lower targets benefited patients across all age groups. So whether you’re 25 or 75, 106/71 is considered normal.
That said, blood pressure naturally tends to rise with age as arteries stiffen. A reading of 106/71 is especially common in younger adults and in people who exercise regularly. If you’re older and seeing this number, it’s a sign your cardiovascular system is in good shape, though it’s worth confirming the reading is accurate (more on that below).
Make Sure Your Reading Is Accurate
A single blood pressure reading is a snapshot, not a verdict. Measurement errors are surprisingly common and can swing your numbers by 20 mmHg or more in either direction. A few of the biggest culprits:
- Full bladder: Can inflate your systolic reading by up to 33 mmHg.
- Arm position: Holding your arm below heart level can add 4 to 23 mmHg to your result.
- Wrong cuff size: A cuff that’s too small or too large will give inaccurate numbers.
- No rest period: You should sit quietly for five minutes before measuring. Skipping this is one of the most common mistakes.
- Crossed legs or talking: Both can artificially raise the reading.
For the most reliable result, sit with your feet flat on the floor, your arm supported at heart level, and your back against a chair. Don’t eat, drink caffeine, smoke, or exercise for at least 30 minutes before measuring. Take two or three readings a minute apart and average them. If you’re consistently landing around 106/71, you can feel confident it’s accurate.
What to Do With a Normal Reading
The official recommendation for people with normal blood pressure is simply to maintain a healthy lifestyle. That means staying physically active, eating a balanced diet, managing stress, limiting alcohol, and not smoking. There’s no medication involved and no special monitoring schedule beyond the blood pressure checks you’d get at routine physicals. A reading like 106/71 puts you in the best possible category, with the lowest associated risk for heart disease and stroke.