The Benefits of Home Blood Pressure Monitoring

Home blood pressure measurements (twice a day; in the morning and at bedtime for 7 days) correlate more closely with a patient’s true blood pressure than in-office blood pressure measurements, and are more predictive of adverse cardiovascular outcomes (stroke, heart attack and heart failure).

The in-office blood pressure measurement tends to be higher than the actual blood pressure and that is called the “white coat” response. Home blood pressure monitoring helps identify patients with “white coat” high blood pressure. These patients have a normal home blood pressure.

Patients with “white coat” high blood pressure do not require treatment and we just advise them to continue to monitor their blood pressure at home and share readings with their physicians.

Home blood pressure monitoring is widely recommended for use in the diagnosis of hypertension (high blood pressure).

Current guidelines recommend using home blood pressure monitoring, when performed correctly, to guide therapy. Sharing readings from a home blood pressure monitor with your physician may help you reach your blood pressure goal more quickly.

Occasionally, in-office blood pressure is found to be normal but home blood pressure readings are high. These individuals have “masked” high blood pressure. “Masked” high blood pressure is associated with an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes that is comparable to that of sustained hypertension. The current guidelines recommend initiation of antihypertensive therapy in individuals who have “masked” high blood pressure, using home blood pressure monitoring to guide therapy.

It is recommend to use home blood pressure monitoring to screen for “masked” high blood pressure in most patients, if feasible and available. 

These are the reasons why home blood pressure monitoring is a very important tool to diagnose and manage patients with high blood pressure.

In summary:

1- Home blood pressure monitoring is widely recommended for use in the diagnosis of hypertension (high blood pressure).

2- Home blood pressure monitoring, if done correctly, is more helpful than the in-office blood pressure measurements. It can help identify patients with “white coat” high blood pressure and “masked” high blood pressure.

3- Sharing readings from a home blood pressure monitor with your physician will help you reach your blood pressure goal more quickly.