Another Study Demonstrates the Value of Home BP Monitoring

A hypertension self-management program resulted in a meaningful reduction in Systolic blood pressure values in high risk patients according to a study published in the Journal Of the American Medical Association, and reported in MedPage Today.

In the study, a group of patients with baseline BP of 130/80 were instructed to monitor their own BP at home and were trained to adjust their own medication dosages based on their readings. The result was a clinically significant 9.2mmHg lower mean systolic BP at their 12 month office visit as reported by Richard J McManus, PHD, from the Universtiy of Oxford. The researchers concluded that, if sustained, the improved blood pressure values would be expected to reduce the risks of stroke by up to 30%. The authors noted that when physicians rely ONLY on BP values obtained during office visits, they are less inclined to modify dosage levels. McManus said other studies suggest that at least 1/3 of high risk patients in the US already monitor their BP at home, but that still leaves 2/3 that don’t.

ADC recently introduced their newest generation line of Advantage™ Home Blood Pressure monitors. The line, consisting of 4 upper arm and 2 wrist models, carries an MSRP from $39.98 to $99.99.

_{McManus RJ, et al. "Effect of self-monitoring and medication self-titration on systolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease: the TASMIN-SR randomized clinical trial" JAMA 2014; 312: 799-808.}