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6 Ways to Reduce Hypertension: World Hypertension Day

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Are you aware of the impact hypertension can have on your health?

May 17th marks World Hypertension Day, a global initiative to raise awareness of hypertension and promote hypertension prevention, detection, and control. 

Over 30% of the adult population in the world and more than a billion individuals worldwide suffer from hypertension. It is the main cause of heart disorders, especially coronary artery disease, and stroke. Additionally, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, arrhythmia, and dementia can all result from uncontrolled hypertension. Therefore, information regarding this illness should be shared widely. 

140/90mmHg or over – you may have high blood pressure

Most doctors use 140/90mmHg as the cut off for point for diagnosing high blood pressure (hypertension). This is the stage where the likelihood of encountering severe health issues escalates. They might prescribe medications and advise you to make changes to your lifestyle to bring your blood pressure down.

There are many ways to prevent hypertension, some ways include:

  • Get regular exercise 
  • Reduce salt intake 
  • Learn to manage tension or stress 
  • Take a well-balanced diet rich in calcium, potassium, and magnesium 
  • Limiting alcohol consumption  
  • Avoiding tobacco use  

3 things to consider when choosing a home blood pressure monitor

Considerations include style, features and wireless capabilities

  • Style. Upper arm monitors are similar to those used in a doctor’s office. Wrist monitors are especially portable.
  • Features. Options range from simple ease of use to high-tech sophistication. One-touch monitors give a quick and easy-to-read result. Other monitors offer more features like built-in memory, which allows you to store your readings for a bigger long-term picture.
  • Wireless/Bluetooth®. Some monitors sync with a smartphone letting you store, chart and share your results easily.

5 things to know about checking your blood pressure at home

Tips from the British Heart Foundation :

  • Relax! Avoid caffeine or exercise 30 minutes before taking your BP.
  • Sit correctly. Sit with your back straight and supported. Keep your feet flat and avoid crossing your legs, and support your arms on a flat surface with your upper arm at the level of your heart.
  • Measure at the same time every day. Try morning and evening, or both.
  • Take more than one reading and record the results. Take two or three readings, one minute apart each time.
  • Don’t take the measurement over thick or tight-fitting clothes. This one is simple.

For more information check out our previous blog post How to Measure Your Blood Pressure from Home | A&D Instruments UK (andprecision.com)

How A&D Medical can help

At A&D Medical, we are dedicated to improving hypertension awareness and management through our blood pressure monitoring solutions. Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death globally. Regular blood pressure monitoring is essential for understanding and managing hypertension. Our products include a range of blood pressure monitors, including wireless and other options, to suit a variety of needs and lifestyles. 

To support World Hypertension Day, we encourage everyone to check their blood pressure and spread awareness about hypertension in their communities.  

If you are interested in learning more about our blood pressure monitors, please visit our range of products.  

How to Measure Your Blood Pressure from Home

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How to get an accurate measurement

Have you decided to take control of your health by monitoring your blood pressure at home?

At first this could be a bit overwhelming, and you might be wondering how to ensure you get an accurate measurement like the doctors. However, monitoring your blood pressure at home is just as accurate as measuring your blood pressure at the doctors, with many doctors now using automatic blood pressure monitors to reduce human error.

Follow our simple sets on how to take an accurate measurement from home.

Use a clinically validated blood pressure monitor

Clinical validation is a formal study comparing the accuracy of a blood pressure monitor relative to the measurement of a clinical observer using a mercury sphygmomanometer and stethoscope on a patient.

Clinical validation is comprised of three major components:

  • Utilisation of modern protocols
  • Independent verification of accuracy
  • Publication in a peer-reviewed journal

View our clinically validated blood pressure monitors here.

Ensure the cuff is the correct size

Cuff size matters!

If the cuff you use is too small, your blood pressure reading will be artificially high.  If your cuff is too large, you may get a lower-than-actual reading.

To determine the right cuff size for you, with your arm hanging at the side of your body, measure the circumference of your upper arm at the midpoint between shoulder and elbow.

Understand what can impact your measurements

30 minutes before you take your measurement, DO NOT:

  • Exercise
  • Drink coffee or any kind of caffeinated drink
  • Drink alcohol
  • Smoke

Make sure you sit quietly for 5-10 minutes to relax.

Taking the blood pressure reading

Now you have completed the steps above, you are ready to take your reading.

  • Sit with your back straight, your legs uncrossed, and your feet flat on the floor.
  • Place the cuff on your left arm or wrist (unless your doctor has advised you to use your right side).
    • For upper arm monitors, wrap the cuff around the middle of your bare upper arm, about ½” above the elbow.  It should be fastened snugly, but you should be able to slide two fingers underneath the cuff.  Place the air hose on the inside of the arm near the crook of your elbow so that the artery position mark (if your model has one) is aligned with your brachial artery.
    • For wrist monitors, with the palm facing upwards, attach the monitor to the inside of your wrist.  Fasten securely with the top edge of the cuff aligned with the crease of your wrist.
  • Rest your arm on a table so cuff is at heart level.
    • For upper arm monitors, the cuff around your upper arm should be even with your heart.  Your hand should rest on the table, palm up.
    • For wrist monitors, you’ll need to bend your elbow to bring your wrist to heart level. Positioning your wrist at heart level is critical for an accurate measurement.
  • Press start.  During your measurement, do not talk, move, or eat.  Any one of these things can impact your measurement.

Doctor Checking Blood Pressure of a Patient

What is Hypertension?

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Hypertension affects more than 25% of adult population1Journal of Hypertension: October 2018 – Volume 36 – Issue 10 – p 1953–2041, doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000001940, GUIDELINES in Europe.  It is a significant factor in increasing the risk of chronic kidney disease, vascular disease, myocardial infarction, and stroke.  Therefore, the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) issued updated guidelines in 2018 to improve hypertension treatment.

What is Hypertension?

Hypertension occurs when there is a drastic increase in your blood pressure.  Your blood pressure is dependent on the work your heart is doing, as well as the blood vessels’ resistance.  Having high blood pressure means that your blood is applying a high amount of force against the walls of your blood vessels.  

Hypertension is also referred to as a silent killer, as in many cases, it comes with no warning symptoms or signs.  Over time, the pressure buildup results in the accumulation of damage that can be too much for your circulatory system to handle.  This results in severe health issues such as Coronary Artery Disease, Heart Failure, Dementia and Stroke.

Blood Pressure Numbers

In order to fully interpret your blood pressure readings, it is essential to understand how blood pressure is measured. Blood pressure can be measured by the following two numbers:

Systolic Number

The systolic number is the top number in a blood pressure reading. While your heart is beating, it transfers blood through your arteries as it squeezes. The force with which your blood travels throughout the body creates a certain pressure on your blood vessels.  The amount of pressure in your arteries during the contraction of your heart muscle is called the systolic number.

Diastolic Number

The diastolic number is the bottom number in a blood pressure reading.  It indicates the pressure in your arteries when your heart rests between beats; the resistance to the blood flow in the blood vessels.  It is during this time that the heart fills with blood and gets oxygen.

Both these numbers are measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg).

Blood Pressure Categories

Your blood pressure categories are as follows:

Blood Pressure Categories European Society of Caridology / European Society of Hypertension Guidelines
  Systolic Measurement   Diastolic Measurement
Optimal <120 and <80
Normal 120-129 and/or 80-84
High-Normal 130-139 and/or 85-89
Grade 1 Hypertension 140-159 and/or 90-99
Grade 2 Hypertension 160-179 and/or 100-109
Grade 3 Hypertension ≥180 and/or ≥110
Isolated Systolic Hypertension ≥140 and <90

These updated guidelines are expected to ensure early detection and intervention of hypertension.  According to the new recommendations, blood pressure lowering drugs such as ACE inhibitors, angiotensin-2 receptor blockers (ARB) or calcium channel blockers should be offered to patients with 10% or more risk of cardiovascular disease.  

Due to these updated guidelines, major positive changes could be made in the lives of hypertension patients and reduce blood pressure issues linked with age. The major aim of these new changes is to improve the process of management and detection of hypertension over the next ten years. While hypertension is common among adults, young individuals and children are also at risk.  The major cause of hypertension among youngsters is unhealthy lifestyle, including lack of physical activity and poor diet.  It is essential to start taking the right measures to prevent hypertension early on by making positive lifestyle changes such as adding regular exercise to your daily routine and eating foods that help to lower blood pressure.  Moreover, it is highly recommended that you consult your doctor to discuss the right preventive measures and treatments for hypertension.

Blood Pressure Being Monitored

Monitoring Blood Pressure at Home Can Be a Better Alternative Than Checking at Your Doctor

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Blood pressure monitoring is one of the most common activities in a medical practice.  Patients that have been diagnosed with peripheral vascular disease, chronic kidney disease, cerebrovascular disease, ischaemic heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension, all require continuous blood pressure monitoring.  However, high blood pressure can also be checked at home.  In fact, a recent study showed that monitoring blood pressure at home for two days can be a much better alternative to costlier methods of multiple visits to a doctor or clinician.

The Study

The study1Devereux G, Gibney D, Fadhlillah F, et al Two-day home blood pressure monitoring may offer an alternative to costlier methods BMJ Innovations 2018;4:84-90. assessed that performing 20 measurements of blood pressure in two days can offer a stable and reliable representation of the resting diastolic and systolic blood pressure of the patients. 

The researchers determined that 10 readings of blood pressure everyday are as statistically representative as 15 readings each day.  They believed that an increased frequency of blood pressure reading and decreased duration might offer a more stable and realistic representation of the resting blood pressure of the patients.

The results showed that the reading of 10 blood pressure measurements in 2 days did offer a pragmatic and stable approach towards monitoring blood pressure at home.  The results indicated that it can be a better alternative for patients rather than costlier methods of monitoring blood pressure at a clinician or surgery.

Blood Pressure Readings

In order to take the right blood pressure readings at home, it is important that you understand how it works.  The blood pressure is taken in two numbers – diastolic (bottom number) and systolic (top number).  For example, if you have a 120/80 mm Hg blood pressure, it would be read as 120 over 80.

Aside from this, there are seven classifications of BP and definitions of hypertension, as per the most recent ESH/ESC Guidelines2European Heart Journal, Volume 39, Issue 33, 01 September 2018, Pages 3021–3104, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehy339published in European Heart Journal, Volume 39, Issue 33, 01 September 2018.  These categories are:

Category    Systolic (mmHg)  Diastolic (mmHg) 
Optimal  <120  <80 
Normal  120–129  80–84 
High normal  130–139  85–89 
Grade 1 hypertension  140–159  90–99 
Grade 2 hypertension  160–179  100–109 
Grade 3 hypertension  ≥180  ≥110 
Isolated systolic hypertensionb  ≥140  <90 

Table: Classification of office blood pressure and definitions of hypertension grade

The condition of hypertensive crisis is extremely serious and needs medical attention.  If you have a high blood pressure and are experiencing symptoms such as speaking difficulty, vision problems, weakness, numbness, back pain, breathing difficulty, or chest pain then you must immediately call for emergency medical assistance.

The Benefits of Home Monitoring

Monitoring your blood pressure at home has numerous advantages, including enhanced reproducibility, cost effectiveness, and improved tolerance.  It is even considered to provide more accurate readings as compared to the blood pressure readings taken in doctor’s offices.

Regular home monitoring helps in reducing the risk of hypertension, and also encourages patients to take charge of their health and become more involved in their long-term care, instead of solely relying on a doctor’s visit. Moreover, it also helps patients to learn to manage their blood pressure by adapting a healthier lifestyle, thereby enhancing their overall health.