In 2003, the National Institutes of Health issued the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7). Updates since the JNC 6 report include a new category, prehypertension, and the combining of stages 2 and 3 hypertension. Current categories are normal, prehypertension, and stages 1 and 2 hypertension.

The revised categories are based on the average of two or more readings taken on separate visits after an initial screening. They apply to adults age 18 and older.

Category	Systolic		Diastolic
Normal	<120 mm Hg	and	<80 mm Hg
Prehypertension	120 to 139 mm Hg	or	80 to 89 mm Hg
Prehypertension
Stage 1	140 to 159 mm Hg	or	90 to 99 mm Hg
Stage 2	160 mm Hg	or	100 mm Hg