Home blood pressure testing. 75-year-old woman using a digital blood pressure monitor (sphygmomanometer) at home. The inflatable cuff around the woman's upper arm (upper right) is inflated and deflated to obtain these readings. The device shows a pulse rate of 80 beats per minute (within the normal range) and blood pressure readings in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) of 117 (systolic) over 56 (diastolic). A typical healthy reading is 120/80 mmHg. Here, the systolic reading is normal, with the diastolic reading relatively low.