Home monitoring confirms the clinical diagnosis of high blood pressure

Blood pressure readings of 130/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or more taken at home can be used to diagnose hypertension in white, black, and Hispanic American adults, according to a new study published in the journal American Heart Association Hypertension.

"Until now, the recommendations for the diagnosis of high blood pressure with measurements made at home came mainly from Japanese and European studies," said Wanpen Vongpatanasin, MD, author of the 39, study, professor of medicine and director of hypertension at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. "We did not know if these recommendations really applied to American adults."

The researchers analyzed large multi-ethnic studies comparing home-based blood pressure to clinic-based measurements primarily in young and middle-aged adults in Dallas, Texas, and Durham, North Carolina. In 420 North Carolina clinic participants, high blood pressure (130/80) readings were confirmed with similar readings at home. In 3,132 participants in the Dallas study, researchers determined the risks of stroke, heart attack and death associated with a clinical reading of systolic blood pressure of 130 mm Hg. In the 11 years of follow-up, the researchers also determined that people with high blood pressure measured at home had the same risk of heart disease as people with concentrations similar to those measured by health professionals.

Vongpatanasin added that the findings are correlated with the 2017 American Heart Association / American College of Cardiology's hypertension guidelines.

"It is important to measure blood pressure at home because the readings in the clinic may not reflect a person's actual blood pressure." Some people have higher readings at the clinic because of the phenomenon of the white coat. , while studies have shown that others, especially blacks, have lower readings of blood pressure at the clinic than at home, "she said.

This study included adults aged 30 to 65 from two US cities. As a result, the results may not be applicable to younger or older people or adults in different geographical areas, she said.

With the definition of high blood pressure set at 130/80 mm Hg, almost half (46%) of American adults suffer from hypertension. Researchers have found that at least 30 to 45 percent of American hypertensive adults control their blood pressure at home.

The American Heart Association recommends that consumers follow the proper technique when measuring blood pressure: stay still and rest for at least 5 minutes before measurements; avoid caffeine or cigarettes within half an hour before your reading; keep both feet flat on the ground; and avoid talking during the test. At least two readings should be taken one minute apart in the morning before taking medication and in the evening before eating. Ideally, blood pressure readings should be taken for a week, a few weeks after a change of regimen, and a week before the doctor's visit.

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More information:
Hypertension (2018). DOI: 10.1161 / HYPERTENSIONAHA.118.11657.