A new international consensus seeks to standardise clinic-based blood pressure measurement. Standardisation is necessary, say the authors, as potentially 29 different components of the BP measuring procedure can affect systolic (higher reading) and/or diastolic (lower reading) BP readings.⁸

Without standardisation, a patient’s BP record could vary widely between one visit and the next, making it difficult to target a specific BP goal with consistent therapy. Non-standardised readings also tend to be higher than when the procedure is consistent, and it has been estimated that potentially one in five patients could have their level of hypertension or control status misclassified.

The working group behind the document strongly recommends that the BP monitor should be an upper arm device which has been validated by one of six scientific associations around the world, including the British and Irish Hypertension Society (BIHS).

Out of clinic BP monitoring, such as by ambulatory or home BP measurement, may give a better picture of the blood pressure in a diagnosis or management of hypertension. However, due to the lack of large randomised controlled outcome trials for these types of devices, the consensus authors say that ambulatory or home BP measurement should be used to complement standardised clinic BP measurements when available.