Monitoring and Evaluation of Blood Pressure Changes With a Home Healthcare System

We investigated changes in blood pressure with exercise, including walking and ergometer training, sleep, and body weight. Blood pressure was monitored over a period of about 1 year in 61 subjects in Osaka, Japan. The morning systolic blood pressures were analyzed using multivariate regression analysis, and the correlations between systolic blood pressure and the above parameters were determined. The systolic blood pressure distribution was classified into improved, stable, and ingravescence groups. In the improved group, exercise intensity and total calories were important factors controlling the systolic blood pressure. More than 300 kcal per day was needed to improve the systolic blood pressure. In the stable and ingravescence groups, body weight control was also an important factor in maintaining blood pressure. An increase of 1 kg in body weight was associated with systolic blood pressure increases of 3 and 6 mm Hg in the stable and ingravescence groups, respectively. The long-term repeated use of home blood pressure testing may be a good self-care strategy for monitoring daily health.