Choosing A Home Blood Pressure Monitor

Getting an accurate reading can be difficult when blood pressure can be affected by time of day, medications and even “white coat syndrome” – a surge in blood pressure when health care professionals (often in white lab coats) take hypertension readings in an office setting that induces stress.

In cases like this, your doctor may ask you to start monitoring your blood pressure at home at intervals over a 24 hours period to get a more accurate picture of what may be going on regularly with your blood pressure.   By monitoring your blood pressure at home, you can better track your treatment, minimize doctor visits and motivate lifestyle changes to better control hypertension.   If you have an irregular heart beat, home blood pressure monitors may not give an accurate reading.

There are many different home monitors available and it might be not be obvious which is the best choice for your needs.   The American Heart Association recommends an automatic, cuff-style bicep(upper arm) monitor; wrist and finger monitors give less reliable readings.   Have a healthcare professional check your monitor annually to make sure readings are accurate.

What to look for in a home monitor

• Choose a validated monitor that has been tested and approved, by either the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, the British Hypertension Society or the International Protocol for the Validation of Automated BP Measuring Devices.
• Check the fit of the cuff in a pharmacy or medical supply company.  If ordering online, measure upper arm to ensure a proper fit.
• If you have special needs, look for a blood pressure cuff that is validated for your condition.  Elderly users should look for clear, easy to read displays.
• Look for a digital monitor; some take multiple readings and report the average which offers a more accurate reading

How and when to measure blood pressure

• Before using a home monitor, check for accuracy with your doctor
• Measure blood pressure twice a day;  in the morning before eating or taking any medication and again in the evening
• Try sticking to the same times for daily readings;  take two or three reading at each measure to get a more accurate reading
• Do not take a blood pressure reading immediately after waking up or after exercising
• Avoid food, caffeine, tobacco and alcohol for 30 minutes prior to taking a reading
• Try to be calm and relaxed before taking a blood pressure reading
• Uncross legs before using a monitor and don’t talk during reading
• Use the bathroom before taking a reading, a full bladder can slightly elevate pressure
• Use cuff on bare skin not over clothing; slip arm out of a sleeve rather than rolling it up which may tighten fabric causing an inaccurate reading
• Position arm the same way at each reading with arm elevated to the level of your heart using a pillow, arm chair or table
• Track your blood pressure readings in a journal or in an electronic personal health record to share with a health care provider

Newer guidelines, released by the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation, focus on the prevention of hypertension by recognizing the risks of high-normal blood pressure (130-139/85-89 mmHg).   At this stage, lifestyle changes can bring blood pressure down to a safe range, delaying high blood pressure for years and sometimes decades.

To learn more about blood pressure guidelines and for helping taking control of hypertension, visit the Heart and Stroke Foundation website by following this link.