Everyone should be keeping an eye on their health vitals, such as heart rate and blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends that anyone with high blood pressure (typically 130/80 mmHg or higher) should monitor their blood pressure regularly. Thankfully, you can get accurate readings without leaving your home using at-home blood pressure monitors. Doing so helps your doctor confirm your diagnosis and fine-tune your treatment plan. However, regularly checking your blood pressure at home does not replace regular doctor visits nor should it stop you from continuing prescribed medications or activities.
Managing your high blood pressure is crucial since high (or low) blood pressure can lead to complications like a stroke, a heart attack, kidney disease, vision loss and other health conditions. To help you find a reliable monitor for home use, we consulted cardiologists to find the most accurate and easy-to-use devices available, all of which are FDA-approved.
Who should be tracking their blood pressure?
Ideally, everyone should, according to Dr. Mary Branch, a cardiologist at Cone Health in Greensboro, North Carolina.
“Blood pressure is a good overall measure of health, so really anyone can,” Branch said. She added that some people may feel blood pressure is only something to worry about when you’re older, but it’s important to establish a baseline when you’re younger, along with other basic health metrics like A1C (an average blood sugar metric that screens for diabetes) and lipids (insight into cholesterol).
While anyone who’s been advised to track blood pressure regularly should do so, it’s especially true for those diagnosed with hypertension. Other populations may be at higher risk of potentially dangerous conditions involving high blood pressure and may benefit from more home monitoring.
Branch advised anyone planning a pregnancy to start tracking their blood pressure because of the risk of preeclampsia, which is a serious and potentially fatal condition involving high blood pressure during pregnancy. Similarly, those who had high blood pressure during pregnancy should track it after giving birth, Branch advised.
What should you watch for while monitoring your blood pressure at home?
Blood pressure is read with two numbers: systolic (the top number, which tells you the pressure your arteries are under with each heart beat) and diastolic (the bottom number, which indicates how much pressure your arteries are under between beats). Only a doctor can diagnose hypertension or chronically high blood pressure, but monitoring at home can clue you in that measurements may be higher than normal and cue you to reach out to a doctor, who can help you get to the bottom of it or manage your heart health. (It’s important to note that any blood pressure reading above 180 systolic — top number — or 120 diastolic, is considered a hypertensive crisis and you should seek medical care immediately.)
But monitoring your blood pressure can provide other clues about your heart health. Dr. Mustali Dohadwala, medical director of Heartsafe in Boston, said that “erratic” blood pressure readings, meaning those that are significantly lower or higher morning to night, or even minute to minute, can indicate an irregular heartbeat such as atrial fibrillation. Some models of blood pressure monitors have irregular heartbeat detection or EKG built in.
On the other hand, lower-than-normal blood pressure can also be detected through home monitoring.
This chart from the American Heart Association gives different categories of blood pressure readings and what yours may mean.
How we chose the best blood pressure monitors
Along with a handful of other monitors, the Withings, LifeSource and Omron Complete with EKG models went through hands-on testing in 2019. Based on factors such as consistency, brand credibility and accuracy, these models remain solid choices today. The Omron 3 series was added last year based on cardiologist preference for the brand in addition to its affordability.
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The Withings BPM Connect feels trendy, and it provides a consistent and accurate result. For the upper arm cuff fit, comfort and ease of use, the Withings BPM Connect holds its own. The app is also a breeze once you’re in, and it has unlimited storage for your BP measurement needs (although the device will remember only up to eight readings in between syncs). You can also set up multiple user profiles in the Withings Health Mate app, which is a plus if you have multiple people in a household that want to track their blood pressure.