A blood pressure of 116/71 mmHg is a good reading. It falls squarely within the “normal” category under the latest 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 (116) and bottom number (71) are comfortably under those thresholds.
Where 116/71 Falls on the Chart
Blood pressure is classified into four categories for adults:
- Normal: below 120 systolic and below 80 diastolic
- Elevated: 120 to 129 systolic and below 80 diastolic
- Stage 1 hypertension: 130 to 139 systolic or 80 to 89 diastolic
- Stage 2 hypertension: 140 or higher systolic, or 90 or higher diastolic
At 116/71, you’re in the normal range with a small buffer before reaching the “elevated” category, which starts at 120. These categories apply equally to all adults regardless of age. The guidelines do not set different targets for younger versus older people.
What the Two Numbers Mean
The top number, 116, is your systolic pressure. It measures the force in your arteries each time your heart beats and pushes blood out. The bottom number, 71, is your diastolic pressure, which reflects the pressure in your arteries between beats, when your heart is resting and refilling.
The gap between these two numbers is called pulse pressure. Yours is 45 mmHg (116 minus 71), which is close to the normal value of about 40 mmHg. A pulse pressure of 50 or more is associated with higher risk of heart disease, arrhythmia, and stroke, so 45 is a healthy range to be in.
Could 116/71 Ever Be Too Low?
No. A reading of 116/71 is not considered low blood pressure. Most health professionals only treat low blood pressure when it causes symptoms, and 116/71 is well above the range where problems typically appear. A sudden drop of just 20 mmHg in systolic pressure (say, from 110 down to 90) can cause dizziness or fainting, but sitting at 116 consistently is not the same thing.
Signs that blood pressure is genuinely too low include dizziness, blurred vision, fainting, fatigue, and trouble concentrating. If you’re not experiencing any of those, a reading in this range is simply healthy.
Making Sure Your Reading Is Accurate
A single reading can be thrown off by how you were sitting, whether you were talking, or whether you’d just been moving around. To get a reliable number, sit in a chair with your back supported for at least five minutes before measuring. Keep both feet flat on the floor with your legs uncrossed, rest the cuffed arm on a table at chest height, and stay quiet during the reading.
If you’re checking at home, take two or three readings a minute apart and average them. Blood pressure naturally fluctuates throughout the day, so a pattern of readings over days or weeks tells you more than any single measurement. If your readings consistently land near 116/71, you’re in good shape.
Keeping It in the Normal Range
Having normal blood pressure now doesn’t guarantee it stays there. Blood pressure tends to creep upward over years, driven by diet, activity level, stress, and aging. The habits that help most are regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise like brisk walking), limiting sodium intake, maintaining a healthy weight, and moderating alcohol. These aren’t just prevention strategies. They’re the same lifestyle changes recommended as first-line treatment when blood pressure starts climbing into the elevated or stage 1 range.
Checking your blood pressure periodically, even when you feel fine, is worthwhile because high blood pressure rarely causes noticeable symptoms until it’s advanced. A home monitor makes this easy to do between doctor visits. As long as your readings stay below 120/80, you’re in the category associated with the lowest cardiovascular risk.