Your blood pressure can be tipped slightly by many factors, so to get an accurate reading you need to control things like posture, how recently you've eaten or consumed coffee and how still you're sitting. For a complete list of tips on how to take your blood pressure at home, refer to the American Heart Association and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
The fanciest blood pressure monitor out there will mean nothing if you don't use it or you can't afford it. Consider whether you want a more involved setup, or a "no-frills" type of monitor. Other factors also come into play, such as finding an appropriate cuff size for your arm or whether you want an easy way to share results with your doctor.
You don't need a prescription or a doctor's recommendation to monitor your blood pressure at home, so you can buy whatever one you please online. But for the best and safest results, make sure you choose a monitor that's been tested to confirm it does what the company says it can. You can also ask your doctor for their recommendation.
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According to the American Heart Association, if you're at risk of a heart condition or hypertension, it's important to monitor your blood pressure regularly. There are several at-home blood pressure monitors that make the process easy and allow your physician to confirm diagnoses. But not all blood pressure monitors are made equal and to help you pick a reliable unit for home use, we spoke with cardiologists to find the most accurate and user-friendly options on the market -- all FDA-approved.
Who should be tracking their blood pressure?
Ideally, everyone should, according to Dr. Mary Branch, a cardiologist at Cone Health in Greensboro, North Carolina.
"Blood pressure is a good overall measure of health, so really anyone can," Branch said. She added that some people may feel blood pressure is only something to worry about when you're older, but it's important to establish a baseline when you're younger, along with other basic health metrics like A1C (an average blood sugar metric that screens for diabetes) and lipids (insight into cholesterol).
While anyone who's been advised to track blood pressure regularly should do so, it's especially true for those diagnosed with hypertension. Other populations may be at higher risk of potentially dangerous conditions involving high blood pressure and may benefit from more home monitoring.
Branch advised anyone planning a pregnancy to start tracking their blood pressure because of the risk of preeclampsia, which is a serious and potentially fatal condition involving high blood pressure during pregnancy. Similarly, those who had high blood pressure during pregnancy should track it after giving birth, Branch advised.
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