Final answer:
A blood pressure of 120/80 mm Hg is considered normal for an adult. Hypertension begins at a blood pressure reading of 130/80 mm Hg or higher according to updated guidelines.
Step-by-step explanation:
An adult patient with a blood pressure reading of 120/80 mm Hg falls into the normal blood pressure category according to guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. A normal systolic pressure is less than 120 mm Hg, and a normal diastolic pressure is less than 80 mm Hg. Blood pressure readings above this range fall into different categories such as elevated, stage 1 hypertension, and stage 2 hypertension. The new guidelines list hypertension that should be treated as 130/80 mm Hg or higher.
Hypertension is a chronic condition where blood pressure is persistently at 140/90 mm Hg or above, while pressures between 120/80- and 140/90-mm Hg are defined as prehypertension. It is critically important to manage high blood pressure due to its potential complications, which include heart attacks, strokes, aneurysms, peripheral arterial disease, chronic kidney disease, and heart failure.