Regular home blood pressure checks linked to fewer heart attacks and strokes

• Research suggests that people with hypertension who regularly monitor their blood pressure at home and share readings with healthcare professionals experience better health outcomes.
• Participants using the telemonitoring system showed reductions in blood pressure within 3 months, with these improvements maintained for at least 1 year.
• Although the study analyzed a large real-world population, it was observational, meaning researchers cannot conclude that telemonitoring directly caused the improved outcomes.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects millions of people worldwide and nearly half of U.S. adults. It is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack and stroke.

Health experts often refer to hypertension as the silent killer, as it often causes no noticeable symptoms. As such, regular monitoring of blood pressure levels is considered essential for effective management.

Hypertension screening and management have primarily relied on measurements taken in office settings, but home monitoring can provide valuable information for confirming and managing hypertension.

Now, a large study from researchers in Scotland has found that those who used a digital home blood pressure monitoring system experienced fewer cardiovascular complications, hospitalizations, and deaths than those who received standard care.

The research, published in European Heart Journal – Digital Health, suggests that people with high blood pressure who regularly monitor their readings at home and share the results with their healthcare team may have a lower risk of serious cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes.