Precautions for self-measurement of blood pressure at home

  Home blood pressure monitoring requires the selection of appropriate blood pressure measurement instruments and training in blood pressure measurement knowledge and skills: 1. Use a validated upper arm fully or semi-automatic electronic blood pressure monitor (BHS and AAMI, ESH).  2, Home blood pressure values are generally lower than office blood pressure values, and the diagnostic criteria for hypertension is ³135/85 mmHg, which corresponds to 140/90 mmHg for office blood pressure.  3.Measurement protocol: There is no consistent protocol. In general, it is recommended to measure blood pressure every morning and evening, 2-3 times each time, and take the average value; for those with stable blood pressure control, blood pressure can be measured 1 day a week. For patients with initial diagnosis of hypertension or unstable blood pressure, it is recommended to measure blood pressure at home for 7 consecutive days (at least 3 days), once a day in the morning and once in the evening, each measurement 2-3 times, and take the average value of blood pressure for the last 6 days as a reference value.  4, home blood pressure is suitable for: general hypertension patients’ blood pressure monitoring; white coat hypertension identification; identification of refractory hypertension; evaluation of long time blood pressure variation; auxiliary antihypertensive efficacy evaluation; prediction of cardiovascular risk and prognosis, etc.  5. It is desirable to be able to record in detail the date and time of each blood pressure measurement and all blood pressure readings, rather than just the average. A complete blood pressure record should be provided to the physician whenever possible.  6, Home blood pressure monitoring is a feasible way to observe long-term variability over days, weeks or even months and years, and in the future, real-time, digital monitoring of blood pressure will be possible through wireless communication and Internet-based remote control systems.  7, For patients with high mental anxiety, self-testing blood pressure is not recommended.