So What Actually is Blood Pressure Monitoring?
When patients come in for their first consultation, one of the most common questions they ask is, “What exactly is blood pressure monitoring, and do I need to do it regularly?” It’s a fair question — especially when you're trying to stay on top of your heart health but aren’t sure what matters most.
Blood pressure monitoring is a simple, non-invasive tool that can tell us a lot about what’s going on in your cardiovascular system. In fact, it's one of the most important ways to detect and manage early signs of heart disease. So, if you're looking for a clearer picture of your health, this is an excellent place to start.
What Is Blood Pressure Monitoring?
Blood pressure monitoring is the process of regularly measuring the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps. The readings are recorded as two numbers:
Systolic pressure (the top number): the pressure when your heart beats
Diastolic pressure (the bottom number): the pressure when your heart rests between beats
A normal reading for most adults is considered to be below 140/90 mmHg in clinic settings or 135/85 mmHg at home. Anything consistently above this may suggest high blood pressure, or hypertension, which is one of the leading risk factors for heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease.
Why Is Blood Pressure Monitoring Important?
The problem with high blood pressure is that it often has no symptoms — which is why it’s commonly called a “silent killer.” I’ve seen plenty of patients who feel absolutely fine but are walking around with significantly elevated readings. Left unchecked, it can silently damage the arteries, heart, and brain over time.
Monitoring your blood pressure gives you insight into your cardiovascular risk. It can also:
Help diagnose hypertension
Track the effectiveness of medications
Detect white coat syndrome (when readings are high in clinic but normal at home)
Guide lifestyle changes
Prevent complications before they develop
Types of Blood Pressure Monitoring
There are several ways we check blood pressure, and the best method depends on what we’re trying to assess.
1. Clinic Readings
This is the most common approach — a blood pressure cuff is placed on your arm while you’re seated at rest. It gives us a snapshot of your reading at that moment.
However, clinic readings can sometimes be falsely high due to nerves, which is why we don’t rely on them alone.
2. Home Blood Pressure Monitoring
For many people, home monitoring offers a more accurate picture. I often recommend it when we’re trying to confirm a diagnosis or track treatment. You'll use a validated home device and take readings at regular intervals over a few days.
A typical plan might involve taking two readings morning and evening for seven days — with the average of days 2–7 used as your official result.
3. 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM)
This is one of the most reliable methods. You'll wear a portable device that automatically checks your blood pressure at regular intervals over 24 hours, including while you sleep.
ABPM helps detect subtle patterns, like masked hypertension (where blood pressure is normal in clinic but high at home), or nocturnal hypertension, which is associated with a higher cardiovascular risk.
At Heartsure, we offer 24-hour monitoring as part of our diagnostic assessments — especially helpful for people with unclear or fluctuating readings.
What Happens During 24-Hour Blood Pressure Monitoring?
If you’re booked for a 24-hour monitor, here’s what to expect:
A nurse or technician will fit a small cuff around your upper arm, connected to a portable monitor worn on your belt or shoulder strap.
The device will inflate every 20–30 minutes during the day and less frequently at night.
You’ll be asked to go about your usual daily activities, but to stay still while the cuff inflates.
After 24 hours, you’ll return the device, and the data will be downloaded and analysed by your cardiologist.
It’s a straightforward test — you might find the cuff a little annoying at night, but it’s painless and well tolerated by most people.
Who Should Monitor Their Blood Pressure?
Monitoring may be right for you if you:
Have previously had high readings
Have risk factors like diabetes, kidney disease or a family history of heart disease
Take medication for blood pressure and want to check how well it’s working
Experience symptoms like headaches, dizziness, or palpitations
Just want reassurance about your heart health
Even if you feel perfectly well, it can still be worthwhile — especially if you haven’t had your blood pressure checked in the last few years.
How to Monitor Blood Pressure at Home
If you're doing home monitoring, keep these tips in mind for the most accurate results:
Use a validated upper-arm monitor (not wrist or finger monitors)
Sit quietly for 5 minutes before taking a reading
Take two readings, one minute apart, and record the average
Check at the same times each day (morning and evening is ideal)
Don’t smoke, exercise, or drink caffeine within 30 minutes of testing
Keeping a diary of your results helps your doctor understand patterns and make informed decisions about your treatment.
What Should You Do if Your Readings Are High?
A one-off high reading isn’t always a cause for concern — stress, caffeine, or physical activity can all cause temporary spikes. But if you’re consistently seeing readings above 140/90 mmHg, you should speak with your GP or cardiologist.
They might recommend:
Lifestyle changes like diet, exercise, and reducing salt
Further investigations, such as ECG or blood tests
Starting or adjusting medication
It’s important not to ignore elevated readings — early management makes a big difference in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Blood pressure monitoring is a small action that can have a big impact on your health. Whether you check it once a year at your GP, track it at home, or have 24-hour monitoring through a clinic, it gives vital insight into how your heart and arteries are coping.
At Heartsure, we see blood pressure as a key part of overall cardiovascular care. While we don’t push our services, I always recommend that patients have access to proper monitoring — whether through us or their own GP. If you're unsure about your numbers or want help tracking them properly, contact us here and we’ll guide you through it.
