Measuring your blood pressure is a key part of managing your health. High blood pressure usually has no warning signs or symptoms, and many people do not know they have it.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that anyone with high blood pressure monitor their blood pressure at home. Home monitoring helps you keep tabs on your blood pressure in a familiar setting, make certain your medication is working, keep track of your treatment, and alerts you and your doctor to potential health complications.
A recent study showed that people who shared six home readings a week with their care manager had more success getting their blood pressure under control than people who had the usual care at their doctor’s office, and the benefits lasted after the study ended. Indeed, at the end of the study, 72% of people doing home monitoring had their blood pressure under control compared to 57% of the standard care group1.
When you first start using your home monitor
When you first start using a home monitor, measure your blood pressure twice daily, early in the morning (before you’ve taken any blood pressure medications), and in the evening. Each time you measure, take two or three readings to make sure your results are accurate. Record all the readings. At the end of the week, you will have a useful picture of what your blood pressure is normally like.
How often should you measure – the more, the better!
To get the best benefit of self-monitoring you should aim to measure your blood pressure every day, and no less than four days a week or a minimum of 16 days per 30-day period. Getting yourself into a measuring routine should help you get more in tune with your blood pressure and your treatment. This is because setting a regular self-monitoring routine creates a natural feedback loop, where you track your blood pressure, see how your numbers change, and use that feedback as a source of motivation. You should start to see positive changes because you are sticking with your plan and monitoring your progress.
There may be times when you want to measure your blood pressure more often. For example, if you start a new medicine or a higher dose of medicine, to see if the change is having an effect. It’s also helpful to record your numbers for four to seven days before a clinic visit so you can show your doctor.
Keeping a record
Keeping a record will help you and your healthcare team to see how your blood pressure is responding to lifestyle changes and treatment. It will alert you and your doctor to the need for changes in your treatment. It’s also helpful to note anything that might have affected your blood pressure, for example changes in treatment, illness, symptoms you have at the time such as headaches or feeling dizzy. If you’re using the Dario Smart Monitor, your recordings will be automatically registered to the Dario App on your smartphone and can easily be shared with your doctor or pharmacist.
Home monitoring should not be used as a substitute for regular physician check-ups.
1https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/ checking-blood-pressure-at-home-pays-off
https://mynurse.ai/blog/medicare- rpm-16-days/
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/ jama/fullarticle/
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