How Do Methods of Blood Pressure Measurement Compare?

An individual’s blood pressure (BP) readings can vary substantially between different settings and measurement techniques. Whether readings from different BP measurement methods correlate predictably is unknown. Researchers analyzed data from 40,000 individuals in 65 trials to calculate differences between BP values measured five different ways: research office BP measurement (via standardized protocol), automated office measurement (unattended machine measurement), convenient office measurement (without clearly defined protocol), home measurement, and 24-hour ambulatory measurement.