Home Blood Pressure Monitors A Good Idea, Says American Heart Association
A small investment in a home blood pressure monitor is a big step toward a healthy heart and lifestyle, says the American Heart Association along with two other national cardiovascular health groups. In a recent joint scientific statement, patients are encouraged to purchase their own electronic monitors to better track high blood pressure.
Studies show that weekly blood pressure readings taken at home provide a more accurate assessment of a person’s average blood pressure than the less frequent readings taken by a doctor during routine health exams. Home monitoring also gets patients more involved in their own health care which makes them more likely to follow treatment plans, exercise more and make positive changes in their diets.
“I hope this leads to a new era in patient-doctor partnerships,” said Thomas Pickering, M.D., D. Phil., leader of the team that wrote the new guidelines. “I think this is a very healthy trend, and with a condition like high blood pressure, it really does depend on the patients remembering to change their lifestyles and take their pills.”
The authors recommend digital blood pressure monitors that use a cuff on the arm rather than those that wrap around the wrist.
