Implementation of Home Blood Pressure Monitoring in Clinical Practice

To investigate the implementation of home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) guidelines, a phone survey was performed in 366 primary care physicians (PCPs). Of the PCPs, 90% routinely used HBPM for white-coat hypertension, treatment titration, and diagnosis. Thirty percent trusted HBPM more than office measurements. Reported drawbacks were questionable reliability of patients’ reports and devices inaccuracy. Thirty-one percent advised patients on device selection, 38% were aware of validated devices, and 69% reviewed (not averaged) the readings. Seventy-nine percent used higher than recommended threshold for hypertension diagnosis. Although PCPs routinely use HBPM, there are important gaps in their knowledge and educational activities are required.     

浙江省城市社区高血压管理患者家庭自测血压调查及影响因素分析

目的 调查浙江省城市社区高血压管理患者家庭自测血压情况及影响因素.方法 选择杭州市下城区2个社区卫生服务中心,采用便利取样方法,对2013年5月1～ 31日,来社区卫生服务中心就诊的高血压社区管理患者进行问卷调查.结果 共收集有效问卷700份,有效率98.6％.家庭血压计持有率为89.3％,其中上臂式电子血压计的持有率为47.5％.多因素Logistic回归分析表明,医生建议自测血压、老年人、合并临床疾患者血压计持有率高.高血压患者每周自测血压率为52.2％,其中管理级别三级、年龄≥60岁、使用上臂式电子血压计以及给医生看所有家庭血压测量值的患者自测血压率高.结论 高血压三级管理的患者自测血压率高;上臂式电子血压计的使用亟待普及;应积极宣传家庭自测血压知识,尤其是对中青年人,以及不合并临床疾患的高血压患者.     

Pratique de l’automesure tensionnelle dans une population d’hypertendus en Afrique subsharienne

AimTo investigate home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) practice among treated hypertensive patients in a subsaharan Africa setting.Patients and methodsCross-sectional observational study over a five-month period from April 30 to September 30, 2019. The survey was carried out among treated hypertensive patients aged at least 18-years-old, received in outpatient consultations department at the Abidjan Heart Institute during the study period. We assessed the rate of patients performing HBPM, and compared characteristics and rate of blood pressure control between patients according to the realization of HBPM.ResultsThree hundred hypertensive patients (mean age 59.2 ± 12.0 years, sex ratio 1.4) were included. Of these, 68.3% reported to have information about HBPM. In 42.3% of cases, patients had an electronic blood pressure device at home, the majority of which were devices with arm cuffs (65.3%). The study showed that 40.3% of the patients had received education on hBPSM, most commonly provided by practitioners (71.9%). Among our population study, 36.3% performed HBPM, of whom only 13.8% according to the 3-day standardised protocol. In multivariate analysis, HBPM appeared to be an independent factor associated with better blood pressure control.ConclusionHBPM is rarely used by patients with hypertension in our practice. Most of the patients do not receive education about HBPM and adequate training in order to perform it routinely.     

A tool for reliable self-home blood pressure monitoring designed according to the European Society of Hypertension recommendations: the Microlife WatchBP Home monitor

BACKGROUND: Self-blood pressure monitoring by patients at home (HBPM) is being increasingly used in clinical practice and has been endorsed by hypertension societies as an important adjunct to the conventional office blood pressure measurements. Several problems, however, exist regarding the application of HBPM in practice, such as device inaccuracy, observer bias and misreporting, variable monitoring schedule and variable method for summarizing measurements. The European Society of Hypertension Working Group (ESH-WG) on Blood Pressure Monitoring has published detailed recommendations on how to apply HBPM in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: The Microlife WatchBP Home monitor is designed to provide reliable and unbiased self-blood pressure monitoring by patients at home, strictly according to the ESH-WG recommendations. DESIGN: Dual-function automated oscillometric monitor for HBPM in the arm, with memory, PC link capacity and embedded monitoring schedule. The device has a Usual mode for casual HBPM and a Diag (diagnostic) mode for HBPM strictly according to the ESH-WG proposed schedule (duplicate morning and evening measurements for 7 days). Readings are averaged by the device after exclusion of the initial day according to ESH-WG recommendations and can be transferred to PC for storing or printing. A pilot study in hypertensive patients with previous experience in HBPM suggested that the device is user-friendly and well accepted. CONCLUSION: The Microlife WatchBP Home monitor is a novel device that provides a reliable and unbiased assessment of home blood pressure strictly according to the ESH recommendations.     

Interest of home blood pressure measurements (HBPM) to establish degree of hypertensive control

Aims: To establish the validity and clinical value of home blood pressure measurements (HBPM) in the treatment follow-up of patients with essential hypertension to rule out or to confirm poor control of blood pressure obtained in the doctor's office with a mercury sphygmomanometer. Material and methods: Observational, cross-sectional study was carried out to validate HBPM in treated hypertensive patients poorly controlled by office-based casual blood pressure measurements. Measurements were made on 2 consecutive days with six readings taken per day. To do this, 2 × 2 tables were drawn up to validate the HBPM using ABPM as the reference method. Sensitivity (S), specificity (Sp), positive probability quotient (+PQ) and negative probability quotient (-PQ) were calculated. The study population (n = 149) was selected by consecutive sampling of the hypertensive patients seen in the Vallada Health Centre. Only 124 patients could be evaluated. Results: Values obtained with HBPM were: S 97.3% (95% CI 90.4-99.7%), Sp 62.7% (48.1-75.9%), +PQ 2.61 (1.82-3.73) and -PQ 0.04 (0.01-0.71). Conclusions: Home monitoring of blood pressure is a useful alternative to ABPM to rule out office-based poor control of hypertensive patients, but not to confirm it.     

Attitudes of primary care physicians and their patients about home blood pressure monitoring in Ontario

OBJECTIVE: Guidelines recommend home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) to improve blood pressure control, but the attitudes of primary care physicians and their hypertensive patients towards its use are not known. METHODS: A 28-item self-administered survey about home blood pressure monitoring was mailed to a random sample of 1418 primary care physicians in Ontario and 765 (55%) were returned. Of the 478 physicians treating hypertension, 299 agreed to give surveys to their hypertensive patients. We received 149 patient surveys. RESULTS: The majority of primary care physicians (63%) often or almost always encouraged their hypertensive patients to monitor their own blood pressure at home. Only 13%, however, preferred home blood pressure monitoring to office or ambulatory readings for diagnostic purposes and 19%, to guide therapy. Physicians had concerns about patients becoming preoccupied with home monitoring (70%) and the accuracy of home devices (65%). Most patients (78%) had a device at home, and 84% indicated that their doctor encouraged them to measure blood pressure. Yet, 80% received no advice from their physician on the type of device to purchase, only 8% had specific training on proper measurement technique, 68% did not regularly take the results to the doctor and 39% did nothing specific about alarming readings. CONCLUSIONS: Primary care physicians prefer office or ambulatory to home readings to make diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. While home monitoring is popular among patients, its clinical usefulness is undermined by the lack of reliable purchasing information, standard measurement protocols, proper training on measurement technique and specific instructions on handling and interpreting results.     

Awareness and recommendation of home blood pressure measurement among physicians in India: Results from Asia HBPM survey 2020

BackgroundAwareness of hypertension and blood pressure (BP) control rates are still low in India. Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) is recognized as a valuable tool to diagnose and support hypertension treatment including the prevention of cardiovascular diseases(CVD) and target organ damage. We explored the prevailing knowledge and current recommendation of HBPM in daily practice by physicians in India.Materials and methodsAs part of Asia HBPM Survey 2020, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among healthcare providers from India between June 2020 to June 2021. The questionnaire consisted of 37 questions and sub-questions related to HBPM awareness and recommendations to patients.ResultsA total of 832 physicians participated in the survey. Almost 83% were male, whereas age, specialty and workplace were well distributed. 31.3% of physicians instruct their patients to measure their BP before taking antihypertensive drugs, while around 30% of physicians gave no instructions. The reference value of hypertension diagnosis amongst the physicians was substantially low based on clinic BP (34.4%) and home BP (15.1%). Among physicians who manage hypertensive patients, nearly 88% recommend HBPM to their patients, however, only 34.9% of their patients own HBPM device and 30.4% of the patients measure their own BP at home.ConclusionThe survey reveals that HBPM instructions to the patients are either lacking or not well aligned with the local hypertension guidelines which may have led to the low HBPM use among patients. Clear and practical educational material and sessions are needed to improve the understanding of HBPM amongst physicians.     

Home blood-pressure monitoring among hypertensive patients in an Asian population

Hypertension is a principal cause of mortality and morbidity in Singapore. The use of home blood-pressure monitoring (HBPM) to assess hypertensive control with digital devices in the local multi-racial population is unknown. The study determined the factors associated with hypertensive patients' use of HBPM in primary care in a multi-racial Asian population. Randomized cross-sectional questionnaire survey of hypertensive patients managed in a district polyclinic. A model predicting use of HBPM was constructed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression. A total of 224 eligible subjects were randomly selected from 1943 patients. Response rate was 78.1% (n = 175). In all, 61.7% of them were aware of HBPM but only 24% used HBPM. Using multivariate analysis by stepwise backward regression, the final fitted model showed that HBPM was associated with higher patients' socioeconomic status: (adjusted OR for middle-income status = 2.85, 95% CI: 1.2-6.78, P = 0.018; adjusted OR for high-income status = 3.46, 95% CI: 1.22-9.87, P = 0.020) and their documented diastolic BP (adjusted OR for diastolic BP > 80 mmHg = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.06-4.82, P = 0.034). Nonusers cited failure to recognize benefits (54.1%), lack of HBPM awareness (29.3%), understanding of device operation (18.8%) and perception of inaccuracy (10.5%) as deterrents. 76.2% of users were satisfied with HBPM but lacked knowledge in maintenance of devices. In conclusion, 61.7% of the study population were aware of HBPM but only 24% used it. Patients' failure to recognize benefits, lack of awareness, cost and perception of inaccuracy were barriers. Higher socioeconomic status and patient's documented diastolic BP correlated with HBPM usage.     

Home blood pressure monitoring in France: Device possession rate and associated determinants,the Esteban study

Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) is increasingly being promoted in hypertension guidelines to improve hypertension management. Possessing a HBPM device could improve blood pressure (BP) control and prognostic impact. The aims of this study were to estimate the possession rate of HBPM devices in the French population and in hypertensive adults, and to investigate the determinants of possessing such devices at home. Cross‐sectional analyses were performed using data from the Esteban survey, which comprised a representative sample of the French population. Among the 2,054 study participants, 673 had hypertension. Of these, 385 were aware they had it. Weighted logistic regressions were performed to investigate the factors (socioeconomic, clinical, drug treatment, and healthcare visits) associated with possessing a HBPM device. 20.9% of the study sample, 42.1% of those with hypertension, and 54% of those aware of their hypertension, possessed a HBPM device. Female gender (OR = 2.03, 95%CI [1.46; 2.60]), smoking (OR = 2.33, 95%CI [1.51; 3.15]), antihypertensive drugs (OR = 1.75, 95%CI [1.06; 2.44]), general practitioner (GP) visits (OR = 3.28, 95%CI [1.84; 4.68]), and diabetes (OR = 0.41 95% CI [0.14; 0.68]) were associated with possessing a HBPM device among those aware of their hypertension. Over 20% of the study population possessed a HBPM device at home. This proportion rose to one in two in those aware or their hypertension. Among the latter, possessing a device was positively associated with female gender, GP visits, and antihypertensive drug use. Increasing possession of HBPM devices in the hypertensive population could foster better management of the condition.     

家庭血压监测的临床应用

血压测量是诊断高血压病的基本手段,目前主要有三种方法评价血压：诊所偶测血压、动态血压监测和家庭血压监测。家庭血压监测方便、经济,已有大量数据表明：与诊所偶测血压相比,家庭血压监测是评估心血管疾病风险的一个更好的预测因子。同时它能改善高血压患者的治疗依从性,有利于血压控制,监测降压药物疗效,减少医疗费用。另外对鉴别白大衣高血压和隐性高血压也很有帮助。     

Asian management of hypertension: Current status,home blood pressure,and specific concerns in Singapore

Despite reductions in hypertension prevalence and improvements in control rates in recent years, almost one‐third of all deaths in Singapore are due to cardiovascular disease and that proportion is growing. Ischemic heart disease is the most common cause of cardiovascular death, ahead of stroke. Local data suggest that awareness and support for home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) is good, but there are reservations about the accuracy of HBPM devices and physicians cited a lack of time and resources to educate patients about HBPM. In addition, there was a knowledge gap around use of HBPM for evaluating treatment response. This is consistent with the emphasis of using HBPM for the diagnosis, rather than monitoring, of hypertension in the Singapore hypertension guidelines. In the absence of specific HBPM thresholds and targets, it is suggested that HOPE Asia Network consensus documents provide the most locally relevant guidance of the use of HBPM. Calcium channel blockers and angiotensin receptor blockers are the most commonly used antihypertensive agents in Singapore, and monotherapy was relatively uncommon (24%) of patients. Overall, more needs to be done in detecting and managing hypertension in Singapore to address rates of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular disease mortality. Use of HBPM needs to be encouraged to improve adherence to treatment and optimize BP targets according to Asian perspectives and data.     

Availability and use of home blood pressure measurement in the Czech general population

BackgroundHome blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) is recommended for hypertensive patients as a tool to improve both blood pressure (BP) control and compliance with treatment.MethodsWe evaluated the use of HBPM in hypertensive subjects examined during a cross-sectional general population survey (Czech post-MONICA). Models predicting the availability and use of HBPM were constructed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression.ResultsOf 449 treated hypertensive patients (mean age 63.2 years, 52.1% women), 250 (55.7%) reported that they had a device for BP monitoring available at home. The factors associated with HBPM availability were older age, university education, marital status, longer duration of hypertension and nonsmoking. Of the 250 subjects with HBPM available, 40% used HBPM regularly (at least once a week), and this ratio increased with the number of antihypertensive drugs taken (monotherapy 30%, dual combination 43%, combination of ≥3 drugs 48%; p_trend = 0.028). BP control was similar in those using HBPM regularly and those who used HBPM irregularly or did not use it at all (54.5 vs. 49.7%; p = 0.52).ConclusionHBPM is available to more than a half of treated hypertensive patients from the general population. However, only minority of the patients perform home blood pressure measurement regularly.     

Place des différentes techniques de mesure de la pression artérielle en 2016

The management of hypertensive patients is greatly influenced by blood pressure levels and accurate measurement of blood pressure is crucial in this context. Mercury sphygmomanometer has been progressively replaced by more precise oscillometric devices that can be widely used in the clinic and ambulatory setting. The purpose of this review was to detail the different methods for evaluating blood pressure, and to refine their indications and clinical benefit. Office blood pressure measurement has a great variability and should follow a strict protocol to give consistent results. National and international guidelines focus on blood pressure measurement in the ambulatory setting. When used by trained patients, home blood pressure monitoring is reproducible and can provide substantial prognostic information, even if ambulatory blood pressure monitoring remains the gold standard. The role of central blood pressure and pulse wave velocity monitoring in the therapeutic strategy of hypertension needs further assessment.     

Guidance on home blood pressure monitoring: A statement of the HOPE Asia Network

Hypertension is an important modifiable cardiovascular risk factor and a leading cause of death throughout Asia. Effective prevention and control of hypertension in the region remain a significant challenge despite the availability of several regional and international guidelines. Out‐of‐office measurement of blood pressure (BP), including home BP monitoring (HBPM), is an important hypertension management tool. Home BP is better than office BP for predicting cardiovascular risk and HBPM should be considered for all patients with office BP ≥ 130/85 mm Hg. It is important that HBPM is undertaken using a validated device and patients are educated about how to perform HBPM correctly. During antihypertensive therapy, monitoring of home BP control and variability is essential, especially in the morning. This is because HBPM can facilitate the choice of individualized optimal therapy. The evidence and practice points in this document are based on the Hypertension Cardiovascular Outcome Prevention and Evidence (HOPE) Asia Network expert panel consensus recommendations for HBPM in Asia.     

Asian management of hypertension: Current status,home blood pressure,and specific concerns in Korea

Hypertension is present in almost one‐quarter of women and one‐third of men in Korea. Although mortality rates from stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) appear to be decreasing, stroke is a more common cause of cardiovascular death than MI. This may be due to better control of hypertension, but national control rates have remained stable for more than a decade (at about 45%). Korean Society of Hypertension guidelines have recommended the use of home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) since 2007, but a recent survey suggests that physicians have concerns about the accuracy of HBPM devices. Nevertheless, use of HBPM is indispensable to monitoring and achieving blood pressure (BP) control. Current diagnostic and treatment thresholds and recommendations are based on Asian consensus document guidance. Use of dual combination antihypertensive therapy is slightly more common than use of monotherapy in Korea, while triple combination therapy is used less often. Angiotensin receptor blockers and calcium channel blockers are the most popular choices for antihypertensive therapy and are the most widely used combination. HBPM plays an important role in evaluating and monitoring BP, particularly in Asians. Individualized cardiovascular risk assessment and better BP control are required to prevent cardiovascular diseases, but there is a need for local evidence relating to optimal BP thresholds and targets.     

Assessment of blood pressure in patients with Type 2 diabetes: comparison between home blood pressure monitoring, clinic blood pressure measurement and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

AIMS: To compare a home blood pressure (BP) monitoring device and clinic BP measurement with 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: Fifty-five patients with type 2 DM had BP measured at three consecutive visits to the DM clinic by nurses using a stethoscope and mercury sphygmomanometer (CBP). Twenty-four-hour ambulatory BP was measured using a Spacelabs 90207 automatic cuff-oscillometric device (ABPM). Subjects were then instructed in how to use a Boots HEM 732B semiautomatic cuff-oscillometric home BP monitoring device and measured BP at home on three specified occasions on each of 4 consecutive days at varying times (HBPM). RESULTS: Correlations between HBPM and ABPM were r = 0.88, P < 0.001 for systolic BP and r = 0.76, P < 0.001 for diastolic BP, with correlations between CBP and ABPM being systolic r = 0.59, P < 0.001, diastolic r = 0.47, P < 0.001. HBPM agreed with ABPM more closely compared with CBP (CBP +10.9/+3.8 (95% confidence intervals (CI) 6.9, 14.8/1.6, 6.1) vs. HBPM +8.2/+3.7 (95% CI 6.0, 10.3/2.0, 5.4)). The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of HBPM in detecting hypertension were 100%, 79% and 90%, respectively, compared with CBP (85%, 46% and 58%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with Type 2 DM, home BP monitoring is superior to clinic BP measurement, when compared with 24-h ambulatory BP, and allows better detection of hypertension. It would be a rational addition to the annual review process. Diabet. Med. 18, 431-437 (2001)     

Ambulatory or Home Measurement of Blood Pressure?

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and home blood pressure (HBPM) monitoring have been shown to be superior to conventional measurement of blood pressure in terms of reproducibility, relationship to the impact of high blood pressure on target organs, and the prediction of cardiovascular events. Nevertheless, these 2 techniques have yet to find their place in the diagnosis of hypertension and during evaluation of the efficacy of antihypertensive treatment. Although these 2 methods do not give identical results in approximately 20% of cases, their diagnostic performance and prognostic value are quite comparable. Although ABPM remains a valuable tool in clinical research, its utilization in routine clinical practice is limited by cost and availability. HBPM is increasingly employed for informed and well-managed patients, and it can help to improve control of the patient's blood pressure. Physicians involved in the management of hypertensive patients should be aware of its value in order to assist patients in their care.     

Quality of blood pressure measurement in the management of arterial hypertension. Pilot study

In clinical practice, diagnosis and follow-up of hypertension is based on blood pressure (BP) as measured by auscultatory method. BP is usually measured using a stethoscope to auscultate the Korotkoff sounds and mercury or an aneroid sphygmomanometer. However due to the lack of regulatory rules, the devices are rarely checked making the quality of the measures doubtful. OBJECTIVE: To compare BP measured following the WHO recommendations, using 2 different devices: the mercury or aneroid sphygmomanometer used by the physician and a SECURUS manometer that has been calibrated just before the implementation of the study. METHOD: The study was performed with 1694 French general practitioners. Every physician included 2 ambulatory patients: a newly diagnosed non-treated hypertensive patient and a treated hypertensive patient. The physician was asked to include the first patient of each category attending his office. BP was measured sequentially with the 2 devices in a random order. Collected data were socio-demographic parameters, cardiovascular risk factors, hypertension related diseases, drug treatment for hypertension and BP levels. RESULTS: Mean BPs differ by less than 1 mmHg between the 2 devices. However 10% of the treated hypertensive patients are not classified as having normalised BP values (BP < 140/90 mmHg) or high BP values, in the same way by the 2 devices. Mean absolute difference between the 2 devices is > 5 mmHg in 22% and 13% of the physicians for SBP and DBP respectively. CONCLUSION: This pilot study emphasises the need of BP measurements of good quality in clinical practice, because of the possible impact on the care of the patients and the related costs. Regulatory rules on the control of the devices might improve the quality of BP measurements.     

Asian management of hypertension: Current status,home blood pressure,and specific concerns in Malaysia

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for a third of all deaths in Malaysia. The background CV risk of Malaysia is much higher than that of developed countries in the west and in Asia. This high CV mortality is contributed by the high prevalence of CV risk factors especially hypertension which is very prevalent, coupled with low awareness and low control rates. This highlights the importance of home blood pressure measurements (HBPM). HBPM is an important adjunct in the management of hypertension, particularly to identify those unaware as well as white‐coat hypertension which is high in treated hypertensive patients in Malaysia. Ownership of HBPM devices in Malaysia is high, and this is an opportunity as well as timely to encourage more use of HBPM. The Malaysian national guidelines do not require HBPM for the diagnosis of hypertension but do recommend HBPM for specific situations. The most commonly prescribed anti‐hypertensives are calcium channel blockers, followed by renin‐angiotensin system blockers. Despite the wide availability of anti‐hypertensive agents, BP control rates remain low. It is important that strategies are in place to ensure that individuals are aware of the need to have their BP monitored regularly and this can be facilitated by the use of HBPM. Hence, there is a plan to develop a local HBPM consensus document. Strategies to reduce salt intake would also be beneficial. In summary, identification of those unaware and better control of BP with the help of HBPM would help reduce the burden of CV mortality and morbidity in Malaysia.