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Posted on May 22, 2008, 8 p.m.
By Jeanelle Topping
Patients should help themselves and their doctors by recording their blood pressure at home, according to expert advice.
Patients should help themselves and their doctors by recording their blood pressure at home, according to expert advice.
A report by doctors from heart organizations said that patients who record their blood pressure at home are more likely to have more accurate readings which can help the treatment of heart diseases.
"Blood pressure measurement and tracking could be improved with home monitoring by the patients themselves, in much the [same] way people with diabetes monitor their blood sugar levels with home glucose monitors," said Dr Thomas G Pickering, a director of the Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health in New York.
By taking constant readings, patients can discover how their blood pressure is behaving over a period of time which can aid a doctor's diagnosis.
"Rather than three to four office blood pressure checks per year, if they measure blood pressure at home in addition to following up with their healthcare provider, patients are likely to achieve goals more quickly," said Nancy Houston Miller, former president of the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association.
Around 73 million Americans suffer with hypertension, according to the report which will be printed in the June issue of the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing.
