Blood pressure of 105 over 65: when you should act
A low reading alone is no reason to act. Four questions that clarify whether 105 over 65 is harmless for you or should be checked.
105 over 65 is below what most charts give as the target range. But that does not automatically mean anything needs to be done.
There is an asymmetry in blood pressure that is rarely stated clearly: high blood pressure causes harm even without symptoms. Low blood pressure does not. That is why there are fixed thresholds at the top and only guide values at the bottom. The question here is not “how low is the number", but “what do you feel".
Four questions that clarify things
1. Do you feel well and fit?
If so, 105 over 65 is simply your blood pressure. No need for action, no tablets, no special monitoring. Low resting blood pressure is common in slim, young and athletic people and is statistically associated with a lower cardiovascular risk.
2. Do you get dizzy when you stand up?
Then also measure while standing: first measure after five minutes seated, then stand up and measure again after one and after three minutes. If the upper reading drops by more than 20 mmHg or the lower by more than 10 mmHg, this is called orthostatic hypotension. These readings belong with your doctor – measuring only while seated, this goes unnoticed. It is particularly common in older age; why no separate age chart applies there nonetheless is explained in Blood pressure chart by age.
3. Is the low reading new?
This is the most important of the four questions. Anyone who was at 125 over 80 for years and is now at 105 over 65 has a change – and changes are more meaningful than absolute numbers. Possible reasons include dehydration, anaemia, thyroid problems or medication that is acting too strongly.
4. Have you fainted or nearly fainted?
Then please have it checked promptly, even if it only happened once and you felt fine afterwards.
The gap is unremarkable here
105 minus 65 gives a pulse pressure of 40 mmHg – right in the typical range of roughly 40 to 50. Both readings are therefore evenly low, not spread apart.
That is reassuring information: a very small gap below roughly 25 to 30 mmHg could point to a low pumping output of the heart. You are well away from that here. More on this third number in Pulse pressure: what the gap between your blood pressure readings reveals.
The moment that matters lies between standing up and the first measurement
The instructions above are correct: measure seated, stand up, measure again after one and after three minutes. They just have one gap. Dizziness usually occurs in the first few seconds after standing up – and the first comparison measurement comes a minute later.
What happens to pressure and pulse during that minute goes unobserved. This is exactly where a blood pressure event recorder works differently from a blood pressure monitor.
Conventional blood pressure monitor
ResultTwo numbers per measurement
TimingSeated, then after one and after three minutes
The first seconds standingNot captured
TechnologySingle oscillometric measurement
BPER blood pressure event recorder
ResultThe curve of pressure and pulse, beat by beat
TimingIn the 60 seconds when your vision goes dark
The first seconds standingRecorded
TechnologyBeat-to-beat recording
Class IIa medical device · no subscription · 30-day right of return
If you take blood pressure-lowering medication
Here the assessment changes. A reading of 105 over 65 during ongoing treatment can mean that the dosage is too strong for your current situation – especially if dizziness occurs as well, or if it is summer and the heat lowers your pressure further. How much heat contributes is explained in Blood pressure in hot weather.
Even so, do not change the dose yourself. Record your readings and symptoms for a week and show them to your doctor – an adjustment may well be possible, but it should be decided by a doctor.
What helps in everyday life
Only relevant if you actually have symptoms:
- Get up slowly – sit up first, stay seated briefly, then stand
- Drink enough; if you have been told to limit fluids because of a heart or kidney condition, that limit applies
- Regular endurance exercise stabilises circulatory regulation
- Several smaller meals instead of a few large ones
- Alternating hot and cold showers and compression stockings are often recommended
People with low blood pressure are sometimes advised to eat more salt – this is not a general recommendation and should be discussed with a doctor.
Measuring correctly also applies to low readings
Low readings are also distorted by measurement errors. A cuff that is too large, for example, reads too low. The other sources of error are described in Measuring blood pressure correctly. For the classification of all readings see Blood pressure chart, and for the lower range in more detail Blood pressure of 100 over 70 in women.
When you should seek medical advice
- If you faint or nearly faint
- If your blood pressure is newly low or has dropped significantly
- If dizziness becomes more frequent or regularly occurs when you stand up
- If you have persistent tiredness or a drop in performance with no apparent reason
- If you take blood pressure-lowering medication and measure these readings
In case of loss of consciousness, chest pain or shortness of breath: call the emergency services on 112 immediately.
If you want to capture the moment you get dizzy on standing up: the BPER blood pressure event recorder records pressure and pulse over 60 seconds – beat by beat.
How to describe your symptoms so your doctor can actually work with them
Five steps for your next doctor’s appointment – plus a printable template for noting down your observations.
This is how it usually sounds
“I felt strange again last night. A kind of stumble, and it gave me a fright.”
“Let’s keep an eye on it.”
The guide shows you how to describe it instead and which questions to ask. What is usually missing are the numbers from exactly those two minutes – and those are what the BPER records, beat by beat.
Frequently asked questions
Is 105 over 65 too low?
Not without symptoms. The reading is below the target range, but low blood pressure is only considered to need treatment if it causes symptoms. It is common in slim, young and athletic people.
How do I check whether my dizziness comes from my blood pressure?
Measure while seated after five minutes' rest, then stand up and measure again after one and after three minutes. If the upper reading drops by more than 20 mmHg or the lower by more than 10 mmHg, you should have this checked by a doctor.
What does it mean if my blood pressure has recently become lower?
A change is more meaningful than an absolute value. Possible causes include dehydration, anaemia, thyroid disorders or medication that is acting too strongly. This should be investigated.
I take blood pressure-lowering medication and measure 105 over 65 – what should I do?
Record your readings and symptoms for a week and show them to your doctor. An adjustment may well be possible, but it must be decided by a doctor. Do not change the dose on your own.
How can I capture what happens in the first seconds after standing up?
The usual measurement compares readings while seated and after one and three minutes standing. The seconds immediately after standing up lie in between. A blood pressure event recorder records pressure and pulse beat by beat over about 60 seconds and can be started at exactly this moment. It does not replace a medical examination.
What is a blood pressure event recorder?
A device that records not a single point in time but a short curve – beat-to-beat over about 60 seconds. It is intended for episodes that fall between two routine measurements: dizziness when standing up, a racing heart, brief discomfort. It does not replace a medical examination.
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This article is for general information only and does not replace a medical diagnosis or treatment. If you have symptoms or questions about your treatment, please consult your doctor.