Hypertension

CONTENTS

(1) Measuring your blood pressure

(2) Choosing a home blood pressure monitor

(3) Up to Date - Patient education regarding hypertension

(4) Medical society guidelines regarding hypertension in adults

(5) Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring

(1) Measuring your blood pressure at home

American Heart Association - Monitoring your blood pressure at home

Mayo Clinic - Get the most out of home blood pressure monitoring

Harvard Health Publisher - How to monitor-and lower-your blood pressure at home

WebMD - Checking your blood pressure at home

(2) Choosing a home blood pressure monitor

The American Heart Association recommends an automatic, cuff-style, bicep (upper-arm) monitor. Wrist and finger monitors are not recommended because they yield less reliable readings. Choose a monitor that has been validated. If you are unsure, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice or find options at validatebp.org

(3) Up to Date - Patient education regarding hypertension

The basics (short, easy-to-read articles that provide a general overview)

• High blood pressure in adults

• Checking your blood pressure at home

• Controlling your blood pressure through lifestyle

• Medicines for high blood pressure

• High blood pressure emergencies

Beyond the basics (longer, more sophisticated, and more detailed articles)

• High blood pressure in adults

• High blood pressure treatment in adults

• High blood pressure, diet, and weight

(4) Medical society guidelines regarding hypertension in adults

US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF): Final recommendation statement on screening for hypertension in adults (2021)

American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA): Guideline on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (2019)

AHA: Scientific statement on the measurement of blood pressure in humans (2019)

American College of Physicians (ACP) and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP): Clinical practice guideline on the pharmacologic treatment of hypertension in adults aged 60 years or older to higher versus lower blood pressure targets (2017)

Guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults (2017) from: ACC/AHA/American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA)/Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC)/American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM)/American Geriatrics Society (AGS)/American Pharmacists Association (APhA)/American Society of Hypertension (ASH)/American Society for Preventive Cardiology (ASPC)/National Medical Association (NMA)/Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA)

Hypertension Canada: Comprehensive guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis, risk assessment, and treatment of hypertension in adults and children (2020)

International Society of Hypertension (ISH): Global hypertension practice guidelines (2020)

(5) Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) — ABPM is determined using a device worn by the patient that takes blood pressure (BP) measurements over a 24- to 48-hour period. ABPM is the most accurate way to measure blood pressure. However, ABPM is not available in most clinicians' offices, often due to its expense and lack of coverage by insurance companies.