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Blood Pressure Percentile Calculator

Estimate paediatric blood pressure percentiles by age, sex and height.

About Blood Pressure Percentile Calculator

Paediatric blood pressure thresholds depend on age, sex and height rather than being fixed, which is why a reading normal for one child can be elevated for another of the same age. This uses a simplified reference. A single elevated reading does not establish hypertension in children, which requires repeated measurements on separate occasions with correct cuff sizing.

Formula

Blood Pressure Percentile

Percentile derived from an age, sex and height adjusted reference distribution

height percentile
Taller children have higher normal blood pressure at the same age
95th percentile
The threshold used in paediatric guidelines rather than a fixed number

Worked example

With the default values below, Blood Pressure Percentile Calculator returns Systolic Percentile of 81.3%. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Systolic blood pressureaccepts 40–220 mmHg
112 mmHg
Diastolic blood pressureaccepts 20–140 mmHg
70 mmHg
Ageaccepts 1–17 years
10 years
Height percentileaccepts 1–99 %
50 %
Sexone of Male, Female
Male

Results

Systolic Percentile
81.3%
Diastolic Percentile
91.5%
Blood Pressure Category
Between the 90th and 95th percentile
Expected 50th Percentile Systolic
104.0 mmHg
Approximate 95th Percentile Systolic
118.8 mmHg

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Blood Pressure Percentile
  3. 3Systolic Percentile= 81.3
  4. 4Diastolic Percentile= 91.5
  5. 5Blood Pressure Category= Between the 90th and 95th percentile
  6. 6Expected 50th Percentile Systolic= 104.0 mmHg
  7. 7Approximate 95th Percentile Systolic= 118.8 mmHg

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 5 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 1 decimal place, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
  • This reproduces a published formula for educational and reference use only. It is not a diagnostic tool, does not account for individual clinical context, and must not be used to make or change treatment decisions. Clinical assessment by a qualified healthcare professional is always required. This uses a simplified reference and is not equivalent to official paediatric blood pressure tables. Cuff size and measurement technique substantially affect readings. Paediatric blood pressure must be assessed by a healthcare professional.
  • This is an estimate for general information and not professional medical advice. See the full disclaimer for the limits that apply to this kind of calculator.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

This reproduces a published formula for educational and reference use only. It is not a diagnostic tool, does not account for individual clinical context, and must not be used to make or change treatment decisions. Clinical assessment by a qualified healthcare professional is always required. This uses a simplified reference and is not equivalent to official paediatric blood pressure tables. Cuff size and measurement technique substantially affect readings. Paediatric blood pressure must be assessed by a healthcare professional.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Blood Pressure Percentile calculated?

Percentile derived from an age, sex and height adjusted reference distribution Paediatric blood pressure thresholds depend on age, sex and height rather than being fixed, which is why a reading normal for one child can be elevated for another of the same age. This uses a simplified reference.

Why does Blood Pressure Percentile matter?

A single elevated reading does not establish hypertension in children, which requires repeated measurements on separate occasions with correct cuff sizing.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 5 inputs: Systolic blood pressure, Diastolic blood pressure, Age, Height percentile, Sex. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.

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