Nowadays, the incidence of high blood pressure is getting higher and higher. Many people have bought a home blood pressure monitor and measure their blood pressure at home.
Can I measure my blood pressure accurately?
It may seem easy, but many people simply don’t!
The verified upper arm electronic sphygmomanometer has good accuracy and repeatability, and the measurement method is easy to grasp, so it is the first choice for measuring blood pressure at home[1 ].
If you buy a wrist sphygmomanometer, you must strictly follow the sphygmomanometer’s instructions for use.
Desktop and finger sphygmomanometers are not recommended. (You can save this image below)
When using a blood pressure monitor, choose an appropriately sized cuff [1].
The average person can choose a standard cuff (upper arm circumference <32 cm).
If you are very fat, you can choose a large cuff (upper arm circumference ≥ 32 cm).
A small cuff is an option if the upper arms are particularly thin, or for children and teens.
Tips:
When using the blood pressure monitor, don’t forget to calibrate it regularly, at least once a year.
(You can ask for help in the place of purchase or at the hospital for calibration. Now many sphygmomanometer manufacturers also provide calibration services for the sphygmomanometers they sell)
It is generally recommended to measure blood pressure every morning and evening[1].
A morning blood pressure measurement should usually be taken within 1 hour of waking up, before taking blood pressure medication, before breakfast, and before strenuous activity.
Night blood pressure should be taken after dinner and before bed [1].
Tips:
In order to improve the accuracy of blood pressure measurement, during blood pressure measurement, don’t forget to record the time to wake up, sleep time, three meal time and medication time.
In 2021, the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) issued a practice guideline for blood pressure measurement. It is more accurate and convenient to measure blood pressure at home according to this chart [2].
Tips:
1. Whether in the morning or at night, go to the bathroom to empty your bladder in advance before measuring your blood pressure [1].
2. For those who measure blood pressure for the first time, it is best to measure both arms at the same time, and choose the arm with the highest blood pressure as the arm for long-term blood pressure measurement.
People who have just been diagnosed with high blood pressure, or those who have been treated but have not yet reached the required blood pressure, should be measured continuously for 5 to 7 days before the next visit, and the data should be recorded and given to the doctor during the visit refer to.
In people with well-controlled blood pressure, measure at least one day a week.
Measure blood pressure at home. If the average blood pressure exceeds 135/85mmHg during continuous monitoring for 5 to 7 days, it may be hypertension [3].
But a diagnosis of high blood pressure requires a hospital visit.
Tips:
The blood pressure value measured by medical staff under standard conditions and according to unified norms is the office blood pressure.
In the absence of antihypertensive drugs, systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg measured three times on different days is considered hypertension [3].
(If you are currently taking antihypertensive medication, your blood pressure may be [3].)
Have your blood pressure measured at least once a year, even if you don’t have a family history of high blood pressure.
Can you measure your blood pressure? Remember to share it with those who need it.
References
[1] Committee of China Hypertension League “Guidelines for Home Blood Pressure Monitoring”. 2019 Guidelines for Home Blood Pressure Monitoring in China [J]. Chinese Journal of Circulation, 2019, 34(7):5.
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[2]Stergiou GS, Palatini P, Parati G, et al. 2021 European Society of Hypertension practice guidelines for office and out-of-office blood pressure measurement[J]. Journal of Hypertension , 2021, 39(7): 1293-1302.
[3] Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention, National Health Commission, Editorial Board of Chinese Journal of Cardiovascular Disease, National Center for Cardiovascular Disease, et al. China Hypertension Health Management Standard (2019)[J] . Chinese Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases, 2020, 048(001):10-46.
Author: Zhao Yanan | Editors: Zhao Yanan, Zhang Li, Wang Yan
Typesetting: Han Ningning | Proofreading: Wu Yihe
Operation: Li Yongmin | Coordinator: Wu Wei