Too Few At-Risk Seniors Monitor Blood Pressure at Home

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 13, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Less than half of at-risk older adults regularly check their blood pressure at home or in other places outside the health care system, according to an October 2021 report released by the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging.

The National Poll on Healthy Aging results were based on responses from a nationally representative sample of 2,023 adults (aged 50 to 80 years) participating in an online survey in January 2021.

The results showed six in 10 poll respondents said they were either taking a medication to control their blood pressure or had a chronic health condition that required blood pressure control. Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of those with a blood pressure-related health condition reported having a home blood pressure monitor. Yet, less than half of those with both a blood pressure-related health condition and a home blood pressure monitor checked their blood pressure at least once a week, and nearly one in five (19 percent) reported never using the monitor. Among respondents who did regularly check their blood pressure at home, only half shared the readings with a health care provider.

“This poll shows that we have more work to do to encourage older adults with certain chronic health conditions to monitor their blood pressure,” Alison Bryant, Ph.D., of the AARP, which is one of the supporters of the poll, said in a statement. “We know that the risk of high blood pressure increases with age, so this is an important topic for older adults to discuss with a health provider.”

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