Blood pressure readings: Why higher at home?

Blood pressure that is higher at home than at a medical office could be due to a mistake in how you check your blood pressure at home. Or it may be that you are less stressed at your healthcare professional's office.

When you have lower blood pressure readings at a medical office than at home, it is called masked hypertension. Masked hypertension can happen if a calm, quiet medical setting is less stressful for you than your home setting.

Be sure that your home blood pressure monitor is accurate. Also check that you're using it correctly. If you're not sure, ask your healthcare team. You may be asked to bring your blood pressure monitor to your next appointment. Your healthcare team will compare the readings checked with your monitor to the readings from the monitor in their office.

At home, make sure you check your blood pressure when you are fully rested and relaxed. Do not test your blood pressure if you feel stressed or worried or just after exercise. Ask your healthcare team about the correct position, best time of day and the right way to check blood pressure at home.

Some people feel more stress and anxiety when getting a health checkup. If your blood pressure is higher at a medical office than at your home, the condition is called white coat hypertension.

Even when blood pressure is measured correctly and often, some people always get different blood pressure readings outside a medical office. If your home blood pressure readings are correct and always higher than those at a medical office, you may be at risk of a heart attack or stroke. Your healthcare professional may recommend that you start treatment or get more tests. This can include starting or changing blood pressure medicines or completing a 24-hour blood pressure monitoring test.