By IANS,
Washington : Hypertension can be managed better with routine home monitoring, according to a leading expert on the subject.
“Blood pressure measurement and tracking could be improved with home monitoring … in much the way people with diabetes monitor their blood sugar levels with home glucose monitors,” said Thomas G. Pickering of Columbia Presbyterian Medical Centre.
“High blood pressure is notoriously difficult to treat to goal – many patients fail to reach target levels despite treatment, and studies show home monitoring can help,” Pickering added.
He said there is strong evidence that the traditional way of measuring BP can be misleading. Studies indicate that between 10 percent and 20 percent diagnosed with the condition in the doctor’s cabin actually have normal BP outside it.
Conversely, “some people with normal BP in their doctors’ offices have pressures that spike to potentially dangerous levels in other situations,” said Pickering.
Home monitors can take multiple measurements during each session, and can be used at different times of day. Many monitors also store and average blood pressure readings over time, providing crucial data for patients to take to their physicians so they can work as a team to diagnose and treat the condition.