Staying Healthy
Is your home blood pressure monitor accurate?
Here's how to tell and what to do if the device might be wrong.
- Reviewed by Anthony L. Komaroff, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Letter
An inexpensive, easy-to-use blood pressure monitor that you use at home is a powerful tool to protect your health. It can help you see if your blood pressure is under control and how it responds to new medications or exercise. It may even provide a more realistic picture of your blood pressure than measurements taken in a doctor's office, which can vary for many reasons. But home monitoring can have problems, too — namely, the equipment.
In a letter published May 2, 2023, in JAMA, an international team of researchers reported findings indicating that the vast majority of top-selling blood pressure monitors sold on a popular website are not validated for accuracy. And using a nonvalidated device might threaten your health.
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About the Author
Heidi Godman, Executive Editor, Harvard Health Letter
About the Reviewer
Anthony L. Komaroff, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Letter
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