What is an optimal blood pressure reading?

An optimal blood pressure reading is a reading that is 120/80 or lower, according to the American Heart Association. Any reading with a systolic number above 120 and a diastolic number above 80 may be considered hypertensive.

A person's blood pressure is broken down into an upper number, or a systolic number, and a lower number, or a diastolic number, according to the American Heart Association. The systolic number measures the pressure within the body's arteries when the heart is contracting. The diastolic number measures the pressure within the body's arteries whenever the heart is resting and it is filling with blood.