A blood pressure of 150/98 is high. It falls into Stage 2 hypertension, the more serious of the two high blood pressure stages recognized by the American Heart Association. Stage 2 begins at 140/90 mmHg, and your reading exceeds both of those thresholds. This isn’t an emergency, but it does need attention.
Where 150/98 Falls on the Scale
Blood pressure is measured in two numbers. The top number (150 in your case) is systolic pressure, the force against your artery walls when your heart beats. The bottom number (98) is diastolic pressure, the force between beats when your heart rests. Both of your numbers are elevated.
Here’s how the categories break down:
- Normal: below 120/80
- Elevated: 120–129 systolic and below 80 diastolic
- Stage 1 hypertension: 130–139 systolic or 80–89 diastolic
- Stage 2 hypertension: 140 or higher systolic, or 90 or higher diastolic
- Hypertensive crisis: above 180/120
At 150/98, you’re clearly in Stage 2 territory but well below the crisis threshold of 180/120. If you ever see a reading that high, especially with symptoms like chest pain, dizziness, or vision changes, that warrants emergency care. A reading of 150/98 does not.
Why It Matters Even Without Symptoms
High blood pressure is often called the “silent killer” because it typically causes no symptoms at all. The damage it does to blood vessels and organs builds slowly over months and years without any obvious warning signs. By the time symptoms appear, serious harm has often already occurred.
The risks at this level are real. Research from large population studies shows that for every 20-point increase in systolic pressure and 10-point increase in diastolic pressure, the risk of cardiovascular disease roughly doubles. High blood pressure is estimated to account for about 49% of coronary heart disease cases and 62% of strokes when measured against a baseline of 115/75. At 150/98, your heart is consistently working harder than it should be, and that extra workload strains arteries, the heart muscle, kidneys, and the brain over time.
Make Sure the Reading Is Accurate
Before drawing conclusions from a single reading, it’s worth confirming the number is real. Blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day, and common mistakes can inflate your results by 10 to 15 points. The CDC recommends the following for an accurate reading:
- Don’t eat, drink, or smoke for 30 minutes beforehand
- Empty your bladder first
- Sit with your back supported for at least 5 minutes before measuring
- Keep both feet flat on the floor, legs uncrossed
- Rest your arm on a table at chest height
- Place the cuff on bare skin, not over clothing
- Don’t talk during the reading
Take two or three readings a minute apart and average them. If you’re getting consistent readings near 150/98 over several days, that pattern is meaningful and worth acting on. A single high reading after a stressful moment or a cup of coffee is less informative.
What Typically Happens at This Level
The 2025 guidelines from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology recommend medication for all adults with average blood pressure at or above 140/90, alongside lifestyle changes. At 150/98, you’re above that threshold, so medication is likely to be part of the conversation with your doctor. For people with readings between 130/80 and 139/89, doctors often try lifestyle changes alone for three to six months first. At your level, that wait-and-see approach is less common.
That said, medication isn’t the whole picture. Lifestyle changes make a measurable difference even when you’re taking blood pressure drugs. A Johns Hopkins study found that adopting a heart-healthy diet with reduced sodium lowered systolic blood pressure by about 5 points on its own. That might sound modest, but at your numbers, every point of reduction lowers your long-term risk. Weight loss, regular aerobic exercise, limiting alcohol, and managing stress all contribute additional reductions that stack on top of each other.
Age Changes the Picture Slightly
If you’re over 65, the pattern of your reading matters. Older adults commonly develop what’s called isolated systolic hypertension, where the top number is high but the bottom number stays below 80. That pattern reflects age-related stiffening of large arteries. Your reading of 150/98, with both numbers elevated, suggests a different mechanism and is significant regardless of age.
A major NIH-funded trial called SPRINT found that lowering systolic blood pressure to below 120 in adults over 50 significantly reduced cardiovascular events and death. That’s an aggressive target, and whether it’s right for you depends on your overall health, other conditions, and how well you tolerate treatment. For older adults especially, the treatment plan is individualized based on fitness level and coexisting health issues.
What You Can Do Now
Start by confirming the reading with proper technique over the course of a week. Write down each result with the date and time. This log gives your doctor a much clearer picture than a single office visit reading, which can be artificially high from the stress of being in a medical setting (a phenomenon known as white coat hypertension).
While you’re tracking, the changes most likely to bring your numbers down include cutting sodium intake to under 2,300 mg per day (ideally closer to 1,500 mg), eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, getting at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, and limiting alcohol. These aren’t small changes, but they produce real, measurable drops in blood pressure. Combined with medication if your doctor recommends it, getting from 150/98 down to a healthier range is an achievable goal for most people.