A recent study by researchers at Kaiser Permanente has found that measuring blood pressure at home gives more accurate results than readings taken in a clinic. This discovery could help improve the diagnosis of high blood pressure (hypertension), which is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage.
The study involved 510 adults who visited 12 Kaiser Permanente primary care centers in Western Washington between 2017 and 2019. Researchers selected participants who were at high risk for high blood pressure based on their medical records.
The participants were randomly assigned to three different groups for follow-up blood pressure measurements: one group had their blood pressure checked in a clinic, another group measured their blood pressure at home, and the third group used kiosks in medical clinics or pharmacies.
To compare accuracy, every participant also underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), which is considered the gold standard for diagnosing high blood pressure. This test continuously measures blood pressure throughout the day and night.
The results showed that home blood pressure readings closely matched those from ABPM. However, clinic measurements were often too low, leading to more than half of true high blood pressure cases being missed. On the other hand, kiosk readings tended to be too high, increasing the risk of overdiagnosis.
Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that home blood pressure monitoring is a better option than in-clinic checks. It provides more reliable results, reducing both the risk of missing a high blood pressure diagnosis and the chance of unnecessary treatment.
Additionally, a companion study found that many patients preferred measuring their blood pressure at home, making this method more practical for long-term health management.
Accurate diagnosis of high blood pressure is essential because untreated hypertension can lead to serious health problems, including heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease.
Current medical guidelines recommend confirming high blood pressure with a second test, either using ABPM or home blood pressure monitoring. However, many healthcare providers still rely on in-clinic measurements for follow-ups, despite their lower accuracy.
This study provides strong evidence supporting home blood pressure monitoring due to its large sample size, real-world clinical settings, and use of primary care practitioners instead of research personnel. The research was led by Dr. Beverly B. Green and published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
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