Wright et al. (NHANES 2001-2008)
About this reference
This report from the National Center for Health Statistics presents survey-weighted blood-pressure percentiles from four cycles of NHANES 2001-2008. Blood pressure was measured during a physician examination in accordance with the contemporary American Heart Association recommendations, and each participant's value was the mean of up to three measurements. The published sex-specific percentile tables use three age groups: 18-39, 40-59, and 60 years and over. FitnessNorms reproduces those groups and the total-population P5, P25, P50, P75, and P95 columns directly; treated and untreated hypertension are both included.
Known limitations
- US-only sample; age-standardized mean systolic BP in the US is above the global median, and hypertension prevalence varies widely by country (NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, Lancet 2021), so the upper percentiles may not generalize to all populations
- Data collected 2001-2008; the values are a historical population reference and may not represent current US blood pressure distributions
- Excludes institutionalized populations (e.g. nursing homes), which may underrepresent the oldest age groups
- The broad 60+ group does not resolve differences within later life
- Up to three measurements were averaged per person; the table describes that standardized session rather than the variability of a single home reading
- The total-population percentiles include normotensive, treated hypertensive, and untreated hypertensive participants and therefore are not healthy-reference limits or treatment targets