Home Blood Pressure Test

Blood Pressure Test, Home

Why It Is Done

Home blood pressure monitoring measures your blood pressure at different times and in different places (such as at home and at work) during the day. It may be done to:

• Find out if you have high blood pressure.
• Keep track of how well medicine taken to reduce blood pressure is working.
• Check how lifestyle changes, such as weight loss and exercise, are affecting blood pressure. Home monitoring can help people feel more involved in and more in control of their own health care.
• Watch for changes in blood pressure that may be side effects of medicines.
• Check for problems with high blood pressure during pregnancy or with preeclampsia. For more information, see the topic Preeclampsia and High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy.

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is often used if there is a big difference between the blood pressure readings you get at home and your readings in your doctor's office.

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Author:	Robin Parks, MS	Last Updated: January 9, 2008
Medical Review:	E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine George Philippides, MD - Cardiology
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