Newswise — Philadelphia, PA (October 28, 2014) — Home blood pressure monitors may be inaccurate in up to 15% of patients, according to a study that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2014 November 11¬–16 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.
Major guidelines recommend home blood pressure monitoring to guide diagnosis and treatment of patients with hypertension; however, little is known about the real-world accuracy of home blood pressure monitors that patients use. Researchers led by Swapnil Hiremath, MD, MPH (Ottawa Hospital and University of Ottawa, in Canada) compared measurements from home blood pressure monitors with validated mercury sphygmomanometers, which are used in doctors’ offices, in 210 patients.
The investigators found that 63/210 of the home monitor systolic blood pressure readings (30%) were > 5 mm Hg different and 16 (8%) were > 10 mm Hg different from the mercury systolic blood pressure measurement. For diastolic blood pressure, these proportions were 32% (67/210) and 9% (18/210) respectively.
“Home blood pressure monitors may be inaccurate in 5% to 15% of patients, depending on the threshold for accuracy used,” said Dr. Hiremath. “We recommend all patients with home monitors get them validated with their health care providers at least once.”
Study: “Are Home Blood Pressure Monitors Accurate Compared to Validated Devices?” (Abstract SA-PO187)
Disclosures: Swapnil Hiremath receives research funding from GE Healthcare. Co-author Ayub Akbari receives research funding from Ortho-Biotech, Boehringer Ingelheim, GE, Merck, Sanofi-Aventis, Pfizer, Amgen, and BMS; and receives honoraria from Ortho-Biotech, Merck, Sanofi-Aventis, Pfizer, and Amgen.
ASN Kidney Week 2014, the largest nephrology meeting of its kind, will provide a forum for more than 13,000 professionals to discuss the latest findings in renal research and engage in educational sessions related to advances in the care of patients with kidney and related disorders. Kidney Week 2014 will take place November 11–16, 2014 in Philadelphia, PA.
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Founded in 1966, and with more than 15,000 members, the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) leads the fight against kidney disease by educating health professionals, sharing new knowledge, advancing research, and advocating the highest quality care for patients.
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