Patients with hypertension should monitor their blood pressure at home to better manage the disease, the American Heart Association said Thursday.
In a joint statement, the American Heart Association, American Society of Hypertension and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses' Association, said people with hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, could get a more accurate diagnosis and better treatment recommendations by monitoring their blood pressure every day.
"High blood pressure is notoriously difficult to treat to goal -- many patients fail to reach target levels despite treatment, and studies show home monitoring can help," Dr. Thomas G. Pickering, chair of the group that wrote the directive, said in a statement.
"Blood pressure measurement and tracking could be improved with home monitoring by the patients themselves, in much the way people with diabetes monitor their blood sugar levels with home glucose monitors."
People usually only get their blood pressure measured when they visit the doctor, which is sometimes only once a year at their annual physical. However, because blood pressure is highly variable, taking several readings throughout the day can give patients and their doctors are a more accurate picture of their disease. This, of course, will help doctors work with patients to determine the best treatment options.
The statement's authors also said that if patients are more actively involved in monitoring their disease's progress, they are more likely to be vigilant in taking their medications.
High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke.
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, about five million Canadians have high blood pressure. The Foundation estimates that 42 per cent of patients with high blood pressure don't even know they have it, and only 16 per cent are undergoing treatment and have their condition under control.
Among other recommendations, the new guidelines suggest that:
- Patients should use a blood pressure monitor that fits on the upper arm, not one that fits the wrist.
- Patients should take two or three readings at a time, when seated, about one minute apart.
- Readings should be done at the same time every day.
