Vitals summarize key measurements that reflect how well the body is functioning across ages and care settings—from neonates to older adults, and from routine visits to ICUs. Explore normal ranges for blood pressure, core temperature, heart rate, SpO2, and respiratory rate, then see how deviations are defined by condition and age. The page also explains how extreme values can signal organ strain so you can interpret trends throughout.
Key Takeaways
- Normal adult systolic blood pressure (SBP) is less than 120 mmHg and diastolic (DBP) less than 80 mmHg.
- Hypertension stage 1 defined as SBP 130-139 mmHg or DBP 80-89 mmHg, affecting 46% US adults.
- Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) in >60 years: SBP ≥140 mmHg, DBP <90, prevalence 30%.
- Normal core body temperature is 36.5-37.5°C (97.7-99.5°F) orally.
- Hypothermia classified as mild 32-35°C, moderate 28-32°C, severe <28°C.
- Fever threshold 38°C (100.4°F) rectally in adults.
- The average resting heart rate for healthy adult males aged 18-25 years is 70-73 beats per minute (bpm).
- Athletes in endurance sports have resting heart rates as low as 40-60 bpm due to cardiovascular adaptations.
- Resting heart rate above 90 bpm in adults is associated with a 1.5-fold increased risk of cardiovascular mortality.
- Normal SpO2 on room air for healthy adults at sea level is 95-100%.
- Hypoxemia defined as SpO2 <90%, severe <85% requiring oxygen.
- COPD patients target SpO2 88-92% to avoid hypercapnic failure.
- Normal resting respiratory rate for adults is 12-20 breaths per minute (bpm).
- Tachypnea defined as >20 bpm in adults, >60 bpm neonates.
- Bradypnea <12 bpm adults, associated with opioid overdose.
Vitals targets like normal blood pressure and oxygen levels help spot hypertension, hypoxemia, and abnormal temperature early.
Related reading
01 · Category
Blood Pressure23 stats
01
Normal adult systolic blood pressure (SBP) is less than 120 mmHg and diastolic (DBP) less than 80 mmHg.
02
Hypertension stage 1 defined as SBP 130-139 mmHg or DBP 80-89 mmHg, affecting 46% US adults.
03
Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) in >60 years: SBP ≥140 mmHg, DBP <90, prevalence 30%.
04
Mean arterial pressure (MAP) target 65-110 mmHg in ICU critically ill patients.
05
Pulse pressure (systolic minus diastolic) >60 mmHg predicts CVD events (RR 1.6).
06
White coat hypertension: office BP ≥140/90 but ambulatory <130/80, 15-30% hypertensives.
07
Orthostatic hypotension: SBP drop ≥20 mmHg or DBP ≥10 mmHg within 3 min standing.
08
Pregnancy BP norms: <120/80 mmHg pre-pregnancy, preeclampsia >140/90 after 20 weeks.
09
Ambulatory BP monitoring daytime average: 135/85 mmHg threshold for hypertension.
10
Salt intake >5g/day raises SBP by 5-10 mmHg in salt-sensitive individuals (40% population).
11
Alcohol >3 drinks/day increases SBP by 4-7 mmHg chronically.
12
Obesity (BMI>30) elevates SBP by 10-15 mmHg vs normal weight.
13
ACE inhibitors lower SBP/DBP by 10-15/6-10 mmHg in hypertensives.
14
BP variability (SD >12 mmHg SBP) doubles stroke risk independently.
15
Children BP percentiles: 95th for hypertension, e.g., 10yo boy SBP 114 mmHg.
16
Masked hypertension: normal office BP but ambulatory elevated, 10-15% prevalence.
17
SBP <90 mmHg in shock requires vasopressors to target >65 MAP.
18
Elderly >80yo hypertension target <150/90 mmHg per HYVET trial.
19
Diabetes BP target <130/80 mmHg reduces nephropathy risk by 33%.
20
Smoking acutely raises SBP 5-10 mmHg for 15-30 min post-cigarette.
21
Exercise lowers resting SBP by 5-8 mmHg sustained with 150 min/week.
22
CKD stage 3-5 BP target <140/90 mmHg, but <130/80 if proteinuria >1g/day.
23
Nocturnal BP dipping 10-20% normal; non-dippers (0-10%) have 2x CVD risk.
Interpretation
Blood Pressure Interpretation
For the Blood Pressure category, a large share of adults fall into elevated ranges, with 46% in the hypertension stage 1 band of SBP 130 to 139 or DBP 80 to 89, and risk may also rise when pressure dynamics shift such as pulse pressure over 60 predicting CVD events with a relative risk of 1.6.
02 · Category
Body Temperature22 stats
01
Normal core body temperature is 36.5-37.5°C (97.7-99.5°F) orally.
02
Hypothermia classified as mild 32-35°C, moderate 28-32°C, severe <28°C.
03
Fever threshold 38°C (100.4°F) rectally in adults.
04
Hyperpyrexia >41.5°C (106.7°F) risks organ failure.
05
Diurnal temperature variation 0.5-1°C, peaking late afternoon.
06
Infants normal axillary temp 36.6-38°C, higher risk of febrile seizures at >39°C.
07
Menopause hot flashes raise core temp by 0.5-1°C transiently.
08
Aspirin reduces fever by 1-2°C within 1-2 hours in children >2yo.
09
Hypothyroid patients have baseline temp 0.3-0.5°C below normal.
10
Heat stroke core temp >40°C with CNS dysfunction.
11
Tympanic temperature overestimates oral by 0.5°C, underestimates rectal by 0.5°C.
12
Elderly have reduced fever response, peak 1°C lower than young adults.
13
Ibuprofen lowers temp by 1.5°C max in 3 hours for febrile adults.
14
Sepsis fever >38.3°C or hypothermia <36°C, 90% mortality if untreated.
15
Pregnancy raises baseline temp 0.3-0.5°C due to progesterone.
16
Athletes post-exercise temp peaks at 39-40°C, cools 0.1°C/min.
17
Alcohol intoxication lowers core temp by 0.5-1°C via vasodilation.
18
Malaria causes cyclic fevers 39-41°C every 48 hours in P. falciparum.
19
Normal skin temp gradient: core-skin 2-4°C at rest.
20
Acetaminophen reduces fever by 0.8-1°C in 2 hours, plateau effect.
21
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome temp >38°C with rigidity, CK>1000.
22
Pediatric normal rectal temp <38°C; oral unreliable <5yo.
Interpretation
Body Temperature Interpretation
For the Body Temperature category, a normal core range of 36.5 to 37.5°C can rise naturally by about 0.5 to 1°C toward late afternoon, but going beyond 38°C marks fever and temperatures over 41.5°C become dangerously high.
03 · Category
Heart Rate30 stats
01
The average resting heart rate for healthy adult males aged 18-25 years is 70-73 beats per minute (bpm).
02
Athletes in endurance sports have resting heart rates as low as 40-60 bpm due to cardiovascular adaptations.
03
Resting heart rate above 90 bpm in adults is associated with a 1.5-fold increased risk of cardiovascular mortality.
04
Neonatal heart rate at birth averages 120-160 bpm, decreasing to 100-140 bpm within the first hour.
05
In children aged 1-2 years, normal heart rate ranges from 80-130 bpm during rest.
06
Post-exercise heart rate recovery (1-minute drop) below 12 bpm indicates higher cardiac risk.
07
Women have an average resting heart rate 2-7 bpm higher than men across all age groups.
08
Heart rate variability (HRV) standard deviation of NN intervals below 50 ms predicts mortality in heart failure patients.
09
Tachycardia threshold for adults is >100 bpm at rest, affecting 10-20% of emergency visits.
10
Bradycardia is defined as <60 bpm in adults, with symptomatic rates <50 bpm requiring intervention.
11
Average heart rate during moderate aerobic exercise for adults is 50-70% of maximum HR (220-age).
12
In elderly adults over 65, resting HR averages 60-80 bpm, with increases linked to frailty.
13
Caffeine increases resting heart rate by 5-10 bpm in habitual consumers.
14
Sleep heart rate dips 10-20% below daytime average in healthy adults.
15
Hyperthyroidism elevates resting HR by 20-30 bpm on average.
16
Beta-blockers reduce resting HR by 10-15 bpm in hypertensive patients.
17
Maximum heart rate formula for adults: 220 - age, validated in populations up to 80 years.
18
Heart rate >120 bpm during sleep indicates potential sleep apnea severity.
19
In pregnancy, resting HR increases by 10-20 bpm from first to third trimester.
20
Anemia correlates with resting HR elevation of 10 bpm per 2 g/dL hemoglobin drop.
21
Resting HR reduction of 10 bpm via exercise lowers CVD risk by 20%.
22
Pediatric heart rate norms: 3-12 months 80-140 bpm, 1-5 years 75-120 bpm.
23
Dehydration increases HR by 5-10 bpm per 1% body weight loss.
24
HRV low frequency/high frequency ratio >2 indicates sympathetic dominance in stress.
25
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) defined as HR increase >30 bpm upon standing.
26
Smoking raises resting HR by 2-5 bpm acutely, chronic by 5-10 bpm.
27
Alcohol withdrawal tachycardia peaks at 110-120 bpm on day 2-3.
28
Hypothermia (<35°C) slows HR by 10-20 bpm per 1°C drop.
29
Digitalis toxicity causes ventricular rate 150-200 bpm in AFib patients.
30
Normal sinus rhythm HR in infants 0-3 months: 100-180 bpm.
Interpretation
Heart Rate Interpretation
For the heart rate vitals, a resting rate that stays under about 90 bpm is typical for healthy adults, while values above 90 bpm have been linked to a 1.5-fold higher risk of cardiovascular mortality.
More related reading
04 · Category
Oxygen Saturation19 stats
01
Normal SpO2 on room air for healthy adults at sea level is 95-100%.
02
Hypoxemia defined as SpO2 <90%, severe <85% requiring oxygen.
03
COPD patients target SpO2 88-92% to avoid hypercapnic failure.
04
Neonates SpO2 92-95% post-ductal after 10 min life, preterms lower.
05
PaO2/FiO2 ratio <300 mild ARDS, <200 moderate, <100 severe.
06
Anemic patients SpO2 normal but oxygen content low if Hb<7g/dL.
07
High altitude 5000m SpO2 averages 85-90% acclimatized.
08
Supplemental O2 2L/min nasal cannula raises SpO2 5-10% in hypoxemic.
09
Sleep SpO2 nadir <90% in 5% dips defines moderate OSA.
10
Sepsis SpO2 <92% on RA predicts mortality OR 2.9.
11
Pneumonia CURB-65 RR and SpO2<90% add points for severity.
12
Post-op SpO2 <90% for >10% time increases complications 2-fold.
13
Cyanotic heart disease SpO2 75-85% chronic stable.
14
Methemoglobinemia SpO2 85% plateau unresponsive to O2.
15
Pregnancy SpO2 unchanged 96-99%, but PaO2 rises 10 mmHg.
16
Elderly SpO2 <94% prompts evaluation for COPD/CHF.
17
Pulse oximeter accuracy ±2% in 85-100% range, poor <70%.
18
Obesity hypoventilation SpO2 <88% awake chronic.
19
Exercise desaturation SpO2 drop >4% predicts mortality in IPF.
Interpretation
Oxygen Saturation Interpretation
Across Oxygen Saturation, the key clinical takeaway is that dropping below 90 percent SpO2 signals hypoxemia and below 85 percent is severe, with COPD commonly targeting 88 to 92 percent to balance oxygen needs against the risk of hypercapnic failure.
05 · Category
Respiratory Rate20 stats
01
Normal resting respiratory rate for adults is 12-20 breaths per minute (bpm).
02
Tachypnea defined as >20 bpm in adults, >60 bpm neonates.
03
Bradypnea <12 bpm adults, associated with opioid overdose.
04
Infants 1-12 months: 30-60 bpm normal at rest.
05
Children 1-5 years: 20-30 bpm, 6-12 years 18-25 bpm.
06
COPD exacerbation RR >25 bpm predicts ICU admission (OR 2.5).
07
RR >30 bpm in pneumonia increases 30-day mortality by 20%.
08
Sleep RR averages 12-16 bpm, drops 2-4 bpm in deep sleep.
09
Pregnancy increases RR by 1-2 bpm due to progesterone.
10
Exercise peak RR 35-45 bpm in untrained adults, up to 60 in athletes.
11
Kussmaul respirations >20 deep breaths/min in DKA metabolic acidosis.
12
Cheyne-Stokes RR cycles 30s-2min with crescendo-decrescendo pattern in CHF.
13
Asthmatic RR >22 bpm at ED triage sensitivity 91% for admission.
14
Elderly RR >24 bpm mortality risk RR 1.78 in community-acquired pneumonia.
15
Hypercapnia RR <12 bpm common in CO2 retainers COPD.
16
Post-op RR >25 bpm predicts pulmonary complications (OR 4.4).
17
Sepsis qSOFA RR ≥22 bpm scores 1 point, sensitivity 74%.
18
Anxious hyperventilation RR 20-40 bpm with carpopedal spasm.
19
Altitude 3000m increases RR by 4-6 bpm chronically.
20
Morphine 10mg IV reduces RR by 4-6 bpm in 30 min.
Interpretation
Respiratory Rate Interpretation
In the Respiratory Rate vitals category, an elevated rate is a strong warning sign with adults exceeding 20 bpm and COPD exacerbations showing over 25 bpm, where the odds of ICU admission rise to about 2.5.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Lukas Bauer. (2026, February 13). Vitals Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/vitals-statistics
MLA
Lukas Bauer. "Vitals Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/vitals-statistics.
Chicago
Lukas Bauer. 2026. "Vitals Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/vitals-statistics.
Sources & references
33 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level