Monitoring Your Blood Pressure At Home: Introduction

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Introduction

Key points

High blood pressure often is referred to as the "silent killer," because it usually has no obvious symptoms and most people cannot tell if their blood pressure is high unless it is measured.
Home blood pressure monitors make it easy for people to measure their blood pressure at home. If you are concerned that you might have high blood pressure, or if your family has a history of high blood pressure, you may want to consider getting a home blood pressure monitor.
The Seventh Joint National Committee (JNC 7) on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure recommends that healthy adults with normal blood pressure (119/79 mm Hg or below) should have their blood pressure checked at least every 1 to 2 years. This can be done during any routine medical visit.¹
- Adults who are prehypertensive (120–139 and/or 80–89 mm Hg) should have their blood pressure checked as often as recommended by their doctors, or at least yearly. This can be done during any routine medical visit.
- Adults with other risk factors for heart or blood vessel disease or evidence of disease caused by high blood pressure need to have their blood pressure checked more often.

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Last updated:	April 24, 2007
Author:	Robin Parks, MS
Reviewed By:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine, Ruth Schneider, MPH, RD - Diet and Nutrition
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman

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