Home BP monitoring vital in hypertension control
Hypertension represents a major burden in Asia, with a high prevalence rate but poor level of awareness and control reported in many countries in the region. Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) has been validated as an accurate and reliable measure of blood pressure that can help guide hypertension treatment as well as identify masked and whitecoat hypertension. Despite its benefits, there has been limited research into home blood pressure monitoring in Asia.
In observance of World Hypertension Day, the Philippine Heart Association (PHA), the Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH), and Pfizer, have come together to fortify their commitment in raising awareness and promoting hypertension prevention, detection, and control among Filipinos, including measures that they could take in their own homes.
The value of HBPM
Dr. Jorge Sison, PHA president, in a discussion held at the Edsa Shangri-La recently, validated that, “There are several factors that contribute to the current hypertension burden in Asia and the Philippines. This includes the current diet that most Filipinos eat – restaurant and processed food, sugar drinks, etc; the relative physical inactivity, increasing rate of smoking, and increasing number of people who are beyond their ideal weight. This is only in addition to one’s inherent genetic disposition to develop hypertension.”
There is growing acknowledgment for the role of HBPM to evaluate and guide management of hypertension. Aside from being a simple tool for measuring blood pressure, HBPM is also recommended by guidelines to obtain reliable BP recordings because readings are taken in an environment that approximates one’s daily activities and exposures… Potential barriers to the use of HBPM include the cost and availability of HBPM devices.
Dr. Sison’s discussion of the Pfizer-funded research reveals that the burden of hypertension is shared by neighboring countries in Asia. And through the collaborative work of experts from these 12 countries, consensus statements have been formed which includes the recommendation to use HBPM as an additional tool to diagnose hypertension.