What blood pressure reading is indicative of hypertension urgency?

A blood pressure reading of 180/110 or greater is indicative of a hypertensive urgency because it represents a significant elevation in blood pressure that requires immediate evaluation and management, although there is no acute end-organ damage present. In hypertensive urgency, the systolic blood pressure (SBP) is at least 180 mm Hg, and/or the diastolic blood pressure (DBP) is at least 110 mm Hg. These levels reflect a critical state where the risk of progressing to more severe complications increases, and therefore, careful monitoring and systematic reduction of blood pressure typically occur in an outpatient setting or under close supervision in an emergency care context.

In contrast, a diastolic blood pressure of 85 or greater is within the range of elevated blood pressure but does not meet the criteria for urgency. Similarly, an SBP of 150 or higher alone does not directly categorize a condition as hypertensive urgency without accompanying diastolic measurements that exceed the threshold. A diastolic blood pressure under 90 simply indicates that pressure is within a normal range, which does not warrant concern for hypertensive urgency.