At-home BP monitoring is definitely worth the bother
Almost 50% of U.S. adults have high blood pressure (HBP), and, in 2023, they spent more than $430 million on home blood pressure (BP) monitors. But many folks are wasting their money, because nearly 33% of them don't use the monitors, and an additional 14% only use them occasionally.
If that's you, you're also endangering your health. Regularly monitoring BP at home and then reporting your findings to your doctor reduces the risk of being hospitalized or dying from a heart attack, stroke or heart failure by 34%. That's what researchers found when they analyzed three years of data on around 450,000 patients with high blood pressure. So, use your monitor -- and use it correctly!
1. Buy a unit that's validated for accuracy. Check that out at validatebp.org.
2. Don't have caffeine or cigarettes for 30 minutes before checking your BP.
3. Empty your bladder. Then, sit quietly for 5 minutes before beginning.
4. Sit down and position your arm on a flat, firm surface at heart level. Don't cross your legs; keep your feet flat on the floor.
5. Twice a day, at the same time every day, take two blood pressure measurements, one minute apart. Report your results.
You and your doctor, working together, can help you achieve a BP of 120/75 (or lower, if doc says so). Antihypertensives are effective, and so is eating a healthy plant-based diet, physical activity, stress management, inspiratory resistance training, and fun! Let me join your team too, through my interactive blog and my newsletter at michaelfroizenmd.substack.com.
Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.4YOUngevity.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at drmikerealage@gmail.com.
(c)2026 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2026 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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