Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring Among Adults With Self-Reported Hypertension in 20 US States and the District of Columbia, 2019

Abstract

Background: Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Achieving hypertension control requires multiple supportive inventions, including self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) monitoring. The objective of this study is to report the use of SMBP among US adults.

Methods: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data were used for this study. The 2019 survey included, for the first time, an optional SMBP module. Twenty states and the District of Columbia (N = 159,536) opted to include the module, which assessed whether participants were advised by a healthcare professional to use SMBP, and if they used SMBP monitoring. Among those using SMBP, additional questions assessed the location of SMBP monitoring and whether SMBP readings were shared with a healthcare professional.

Results: Among adults in the study population, 33.9% (95% confidence interval 33.4%-34.5%) reported having hypertension (N = 66,869). Among them, nearly 70% were recommended to use SMBP by their healthcare professional and approximately 61% reported SMBP use regardless of recommendation. The most common location of SMBP was the home (85.6%). Overall, >80% shared their SMBP reading with their healthcare professional, 74% and 7% were shared in person and via the internet or email, respectively. There were differences in healthcare professional recommendations, use of SMBP, and SMBP information sharing across demographic characteristics and state of residency.

Conclusions: SMBP recommendation was common practice among healthcare professionals, as reported by US adults with hypertension. Data from this study can be used to guide interventions to promote hypertension self-management and control.

Keywords: blood pressure; hypertension; self-measured blood pressure; states; surveillance.