By measuring your blood pressure at home, you’ll be able to take readings over several days to get a greater picture of your health, slightly than taking one-time measurements at your doctor’s office.
To get an accurate reading, it is vital to follow certain steps.
But our study found that almost all Australians don’t measure their blood pressure appropriately at home and only a few are told what steps to take.
We created resources to help people measure their blood pressure at home, understand the readings and take motion with their healthcare team.
High blood pressure is a giant problem
High blood pressure is a significant health problem in Australia and all over the world.
One in three Australian adults you’ve high blood pressure, also called hypertension. This is when yours blood pressure Is at or above 140/90 mmHg (mmHg refers to millimeters of mercury, the usual measurement of blood pressure).
High blood pressure is the so-called leading contributor to preventable health problems and premature death amongst Australians because it is a significant risk factor for heart disease, stroke, dementia and kidney disease.
Why measuring blood pressure is significant
High blood pressure often has no symptoms. The only way to know if you’ve it’s to measure it.
You might also need to check whether your blood pressure has lowered after starting treatment or if you happen to are making changes to your lifestyle, equivalent to increasing physical activity, stopping smoking or reducing your salt intake. Low blood pressure (hypotension) might also be an issue.
But blood pressure changes depending on how we feel, what we ate or what we just did.
These normal reactions mean that our blood pressure can change from minute to minute and hour to hour. Therefore, there are specific, really useful steps you must follow to reliably measure your blood pressure and have the option to compare readings taken days, months and years apart.
Mistakes are common
We surveyed and interviewed 350 people (who measure their blood pressure at home) from across Australia to discover how Australians measure their blood pressure at home and whether or not they receive any education to help them know what to do.
Our study found that nobody followed all really useful steps for measuring blood pressure. Instead, they said they measured their blood pressure at different times of the day, after doing different activities.
We found that almost all people measured their blood pressure in a seated position (90%) with the cuff on the bare arm (77%), which is the appropriate thing to do.
While 58% of people took two blood pressure readings every time, which is correct, only 40% used the typical of the 2 blood pressure readings. Very few (15%) measured their blood pressure over several days, each within the morning and within the evening.
Only half of the people in our study used a blood pressure monitor that had been previously used clinically confirmed. This implies that the device is left tested for accuracy by the manufacturer according to international standardsnot only safety.
Consultation and communication
Regardless of whether a health care provider really useful home blood pressure measurement, most people (78%) reported their blood pressure readings to their doctor.
These findings tell us that doctors often use home blood pressure readings to diagnose and manage high blood pressure. This highlights how vital it’s to ensure correct blood pressure measurement.
Many people measured their blood pressure several times every week or month. But most of it guidelines recommend measuring blood pressure only at home: on daily basis for every week, every six months; preferably before visiting a health care provider and after starting or changing blood pressure medications.
Measuring your blood pressure at home can provide peace of mind, as many study participants described. However, measuring your blood pressure too often could cause unnecessary stress, potentially leading to higher blood pressure readings.
Instead, it’s higher to agree along with your doctor how often you must measure your blood pressure and follow the really useful steps every time to ensure your readings are as accurate and useful as possible.
The writer provided
Blood pressure measurement support
We found that few people received any education or guidance from health care providers on how to measure their blood pressure at home.
Instead, many study participants looked online for information that might help them learn what their blood pressure numbers meant and what changes they may make to lower them. They were less focused on learning accurate measurement.
That’s why we worked with people who measure and monitor their blood pressure at home to create easy guide to aid you select a blood pressure measuring device, measure your blood pressure accurately, understand your blood pressure readings, and take motion to control your blood pressure.