Blood pressure chart and diary (2025)

What's on this page

• Taking blood pressure at home
• Blood pressure readings explained
• Using your blood pressure chart
• Using your blood pressure diary

Taking blood pressure at home

It’s common to feel stressed whena doctor or nurse checks your bloodpressure. This feeling of stress cantemporarily increase your bloodpressure – it’s known as ‘white coatsyndrome’.

Because of this, if yourdoctor or nurse finds your bloodpressure is too high, they may ask you to measure it at home where youshould be more relaxed.

And if you’ve been diagnosed withhigh blood pressure, then measuring itat home can help you to see the effectof any treatment or lifestyle changesyou’ve made over time without waiting for yournext medical check-up.

That's why we've designed achart and diary (pictured above) to help you keep track of your blood pressure readings at home.

• Download or print theblood pressure chart and diary.

Blood pressure readings explained

Your blood pressure is measured in mmHg (millimetres of mercury) and is made up of 2 numbers:

• The top number is your systolic blood pressure, which is the pressure as your heart pumps blood around your body. This is the higher number of the 2.
• The bottom number is your diastolic blood pressure, which is the pressure when your heart rests between heartbeats.

For example, a blood pressure reading of “120 over 80” or 120/80mmHg means a systolic pressure of 120mmHg and a diastolic pressure of 80mmHg.

Using your blood pressure chart

You can download ourblood pressure chart (pictured below) to work out what your home blood pressure reading means.

Take the top number of your reading and find it on the left side of the chart. Then take the bottom number and find it on the bottom of the chart.

Trace a line across from the top number and up from the bottom number to see which part of the chart they meet in.

Or, if you have access to a printer, you can print it offand draw each line with a pen or pencil.

Using your blood pressure diary

Week 1

Downloadthe blood pressure chart and diary and use available online tools to fill in the diary, or print it off and fill it in with a pen.

Check your blood pressure once in the morning (between 6am and 12pm) and once in the evening (between 6pm and midnight) for 7 days.

Every time you measure your blood pressure take 2 measurements a couple of minutes apart. You may need to take a third reading if the first 2 are very different.

Write down the top number (systolic blood pressure) before the slash, and bottom (diastolic blood pressure) after the slash for each reading. For example, 120/80.

You also have space to write down any symptoms you experienced that day, as well as anything that may have affected the reading, such as illness.

Share your diary with your GP at your next appointment, who may suggest lifestyle changes or medicines if your blood pressure is high.

Week 2 onwards

If you want to keep a blood pressure diary for longer, you can also print and fill in the pages after ‘Week 1’.

There’s space to measure and record your blood pressure once a week to keep track of any changes over time.

Again, take 2 measurements every time you check your blood pressure, and a third if the first 2 are very different.

This can help you see if any treatment or lifestyle changes you’ve made are affecting your blood pressure.

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