High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is one of the most common health conditions in the world.
Millions of people live with it every day, and many do not even know they have it because it often causes no obvious symptoms.
That is why hypertension is sometimes called a ‘silent killer.’ Over time, untreated high blood pressure can damage blood vessels and put extra strain on the heart. This can increase the risk of serious health problems such as heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, kidney disease, and even memory problems.
Because high blood pressure can change throughout the day, doctors often encourage people to monitor it at home. Measuring blood pressure outside of the doctor’s office can provide a more complete picture of how well the condition is being controlled.
Blood pressure readings taken in a clinic can sometimes be higher than usual because people feel nervous during medical appointments, a situation often called ‘white coat hypertension.’ Daily activities, stress, exercise, and even lack of sleep can also affect blood pressure readings.
For these reasons, the American Heart Association recommends that people with high blood pressure check their blood pressure regularly at home.
The guidelines suggest taking two readings, one minute apart, twice each day for up to seven days before a doctor’s appointment. This approach can give doctors valuable information and help them make better decisions about treatment.
However, a new study from researchers at Mass General Brigham suggests that following these recommendations may be much harder than expected. The study, published in JAMA Cardiology, found that most people with high blood pressure do not monitor their blood pressure as often as recommended, even when they receive free equipment and support.
The researchers, including senior author Dr. Naomi Fisher, wanted to understand how people used home blood pressure monitoring in everyday life. They studied 3,390 participants who joined a remote blood pressure monitoring program between 2018 and 2022.
Everyone in the program received a free blood pressure monitor and instructions on how to use it. Participants were asked to complete 28 blood pressure readings each week, and the results were automatically sent to healthcare workers.
The findings showed that people who consistently measured their blood pressure and remained engaged with the program experienced significant benefits. Their blood pressure dropped substantially, and their risk of serious health problems, including heart attacks and death, fell by about 40%.
Unfortunately, many participants did not stay engaged. Nearly one-third of the people never used the monitor at all. Only about one-third completed nearly all of the recommended readings. The remaining participants had low or moderate levels of engagement. As a result, a large number of people missed out on the full health benefits that home monitoring could provide.
Lead author Dr. Ozan Unlu believes the findings reveal an important challenge. Current recommendations require people to measure their blood pressure frequently and at specific times of the day.
While these instructions may work well in theory, they may not fit easily into busy daily lives. People may forget, become too busy, feel uncomfortable using the monitor, or simply find the process inconvenient.
The researchers believe technology may offer a solution. They suggest that wearable blood pressure devices could make monitoring much easier. These devices would work in a way that is similar to continuous glucose monitors used by many people with diabetes.
Instead of stopping activities several times each day to take blood pressure readings, a wearable device could automatically collect information throughout the day and provide a more complete picture of blood pressure patterns.
The research team also wants to better understand exactly why people struggle with traditional blood pressure monitoring. By identifying the barriers, doctors and healthcare systems may be able to design simpler and more effective approaches that fit naturally into everyday life.
Several wearable blood pressure technologies are currently being developed and reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Researchers hope that these lower-effort tools will eventually help more people monitor their blood pressure regularly and improve long-term health outcomes.
The study highlights an important lesson. Simply giving people a blood pressure monitor, even for free, may not be enough. Successful blood pressure management depends on making monitoring easy, practical, and sustainable.
By developing simpler ways to track blood pressure, healthcare providers may help more people control hypertension, reduce their risk of heart disease, and live healthier lives.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that could increase high blood pressure risk, and eating eggs in a healthy diet may reduce risks of diabetes, high blood pressure.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and results showing 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
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