Repeat blood pressure measurements essential to the diagnosis of hypertension

Study Highlights the Importance of Measuring Blood Pressure Multiple Times During a Single Visit for a Correct Diagnosis of Hypertension

Blood pressure should also be measured repeatedly during a screening visit or at the time of screening for a correct diagnosis of hypertension. This is essential to avoid the over or under-diagnosis of high blood pressure that can lead to unnecessary initiation of medication for the patient.

A study recently published in the Journal of Human Hypertension Researchers from the Foundation for Public Health of India (PHFI), the Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi and the Economics and Planning Unit of the Indian Institute of Statistics underline the need to measure several blood pressure measurements.

In current clinical practice (because of the large number of patients or the lack of awareness of physicians), a single measurement of blood pressure is often used to diagnose and manage hypertension in busy clinics. As a result, a large number of patients are labeled as having high BP and receive treatment that may not be necessary.

The study found a higher prevalence of hypertension of 63% when estimated using a single blood pressure measurement, compared to an average of 2^{North Dakota} and 3^rd Measurement of blood pressure. The study also has important implications for the recently launched National Health Mission in India, in which Health and Wellness Centers (HWC) play a central role in the detection and management of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)

In this study, the authors found a higher prevalence of hypertension of 63% when estimated by a single measure of BP, compared to an average of 2^{North Dakota} and 3^rd Measurement of blood pressure. The study also has important implications for the recently launched National Health Mission in India, in which Health and Wellness Centers (HWC) play a central role in the detection and management of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The detection and management of hypertension will be an important activity of CHCs.

Dr. Dorairaj Prabhakaran, Vice President – Research and Policy, PHFI and one of the leading authors of the study, said: "An isolated measure has increased the prevalence of hypertension by 63% relative to prevalence using the average of the second and third readings. In this young population, based on a single BP measure, the prevalence of hypertension was 16.5% and when the average of the second and third readings were taken, the prevalence was reduced to 10.1%. This significant reduction in the number of people requiring treatment has enormous consequences for the individual (by avoiding unnecessary treatment) as well as for the health system (by reducing subsequent failures to hospitals and reducing health care costs). "

Since the measurement of blood pressure is one of the most commonly used clinical practice tools to determine the health status of the heart and predict future events related to heart health, the health of the heart is the most important. study stresses the need to do it properly.

In this extensive population-based survey, the authors observed a significant variation in the prevalence of hypertension and mean systolic blood pressure (SAR) and diastolic blood pressure (TSP) in the recording simple blood pressure compared to several times.

Dr. Ambuj Roy, a professor in the AIIMS Department of Cardiology and author of the study, said, "In India, most doctors rely on a single measurement of blood pressure because of time and the high clinical burden of most health facilities. It is well known that blood pressure varies from one moment to another depending on breathing, emotions, exercise, meals, tobacco, alcohol, room temperature, distention bladder and pain. Physicians should be encouraged to practice repeated measures at the same visit, with the average of the second and third measures being the clinic's BP, especially in hypertensive patients. "