Pulse pressure is systolic pressure minus diastolic pressure. Enter both and the page returns the pulse pressure, how it sits against the published threshold and how far it is from that threshold. If systolic is the same as or lower than diastolic, nothing is calculated and a message explains why.
The ESC/ESH 2018 guideline defines a pulse pressure of 60 mmHg or more in older adults as a marker of hypertension-mediated organ damage, and this page follows that wording exactly, flagging 60 and above as at or above the threshold. In a registry of treated hypertensive patients, a high pulse pressure was reported alongside a 57% higher risk of major cardiovascular events. That is an association at group level, not a risk figure computed for you (as of October 2026).
ACC/AHA 2017 contains no pulse pressure criterion, so the 60 mmHg mark comes from European guidance only. The source also gives no age boundary for "older adults", so this page does not ask for age and does not invent a cut-off of its own. Pulse pressure alone cannot establish anything about your health, and this comparison is not a diagnosis. If your readings are repeatedly high, or chest pain or breathlessness come with them, see a clinician.
Frequently asked questions
Subtract diastolic from systolic pressure. A reading of 150/86 mmHg gives a pulse pressure of 64 mmHg. This page subtracts the values exactly as entered and shows the result to one decimal place.
The ESC/ESH 2018 guideline defines it as a marker in older adults. Since the source gives no age boundary for that term, this page does not ask for your age.
No. ACC/AHA 2017 carries no pulse pressure criterion, so the 60 mmHg mark used here is flagged on the page as coming from European guidance.