Pushpa
Everyday health Note · 5 min read
Checking blood pressure at home, the right way
One in five older Indians has high blood pressure nobody has diagnosed. A home monitor helps, if the reading is taken properly
The Pushpa team · 3 sources
One in five older Indians has high blood pressure nobody has diagnosed. A home monitor helps, if the reading is taken properly
The Pushpa team · 3 sourcesHigh blood pressure is the most common long-term condition among older Indians, and much of it goes unnoticed. In India's national ageing survey (LASI), about 36% of people over 60 had high blood pressure when it was measured, and 21.6% had high blood pressure that had never been diagnosed
A home monitor is one of the cheapest, most useful things you can buy for a parent. But a reading taken straight after climbing the stairs, with the cuff over a sleeve, can be off by a lot. These steps follow the US CDC's guidance
Readings mean most as a pattern. Take them at the same times each day, for example after waking and before dinner, and keep them in one place. Older adults often have high top numbers with normal bottom ones; the NIA calls this isolated systolic hypertension, the most common form in older people. Bring the log to her next appointment rather than a single number from memory
How Pushpa helpsShe can tell Pushpa her reading on a call or on WhatsApp, or log it in the app. Every reading lands in one log with trends the doctor can read, and a dangerous one, like 180 over 120, alerts the family
This is general guidance, not medical advice. If a reading is very high, or comes with chest pain, breathlessness or confusion, call emergency services: 112 in India
General information, not medical advice. In an emergency in India, call 112
Report sent to the family
Pushpa
Five tablets, one list