Home blood pressure monitoring is superior to clinic BP for prognosis of cardiovascular morbidity, with an average of at least 135/85 mmHg being an appropriate threshold for diagnosing hypertension.
Does home blood pressure monitoring improve the diagnosis and management of hypertension compared to clinic measurement?
Home blood pressure monitoring is recommended for routine use in clinical management of hypertension due to its prognostic superiority and patient empowerment benefits.
Measurement of blood pressure (BP) by a doctor in the clinic has limitations that may result in an unrepresentative measure of underlying BP which can impact on the appropriate assessment and management of high BP. Home BP monitoring is the self-measurement of BP in the home setting (usually in the morning and evening) over a defined period (e.g. 7 days) under the direction of a healthcare provider. When it may not be feasible to measure 24-h ambulatory BP, home BP may be offered as a method to diagnose and manage patients with high BP. Home BP has good reproducibility, is well tolerated, is relatively inexpensive and is superior to clinic BP for prognosis of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Home BP can be used in combination with clinic BP to identify 'white coat' and 'masked' hypertension. An average home BP of at least 135/85 mmHg is an appropriate threshold for the diagnosis of hypertension. Home BP may also offer the advantage of empowering patients with their BP management, with benefits including increased adherence to therapy and lower achieved BP levels. It is recommended that, when feasible, home BP should be considered for routine use in the clinical management of hypertension.
Sharman et al. (Wed,) conducted a review in Hypertension. Home blood pressure monitoring vs. Clinic blood pressure monitoring was evaluated. Home blood pressure monitoring is superior to clinic BP for prognosis of cardiovascular morbidity, with an average of at least 135/85 mmHg being an appropriate threshold for diagnosing hypertension.