Monitoring your blood pressure at home
Introduction
Key points
- High blood pressure often is referred to as the "silent killer," because it usually has no obvious symptoms and most people cannot tell if their blood pressure is high unless it is measured.
- Home blood pressure monitors make it easy for people to measure their blood pressure at home. If you are concerned that you might have high blood pressure, or if your family has a history of high blood pressure, you may want to consider getting a home blood pressure monitor.
- The Seventh Joint National Committee (JNC 7) on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure recommends that healthy adults with normal blood pressure (119/79 mm Hg or below) should have their blood pressure checked at least every 1 to 2 years. This can be done during any routine medical visit.1
- Adults who are prehypertensive (120–139 and/or 80–89 mm Hg) should have their blood pressure checked as often as recommended by their doctors, or at least yearly. This can be done during any routine medical visit.
- Adults with other risk factors for heart or blood vessel disease or evidence of disease caused by high blood pressure need to have their blood pressure checked more often.
What is blood pressure?
Why should I monitor my blood pressure at home?
How to take your blood pressure at home
Where to go from here
Return to topic:
| Author: | Robin Parks, MS | Last Updated: April 24, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD - Cardiology Ruth Schneider, MPH, RD - Diet and Nutrition | |
 | ||
| |