Oscillometric devices can reduce human error and allow for accurate blood pressure (BP) measurement in healthcare office settings, while patients who measure their BP pressure at home should us a device with an upper arm cuff that had been checked for accuracy by a healthcare provider, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA). The statement, which updates a previous AHA statement published in 2005, provides an overview of what is currently known about BP measurement and supports recommendations in the 2017 American College of Cardiology/AHA Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure. Among the statement’s highlights:

• In the office setting, the use of oscillometric devices (which use an electronic pressure sensor within the BP cuff), provides an approach to obtain a valid BP measurement that may reduce the human error associated with auscultatory measurements.
• The use of a validated automated office BP (AOBP) device that can be programmed to take and average at least 3 BP readings should be considered the preferred approach for evaluating office BP.
• Home BP monitoring is an alternative when ambulatory BP monitoring is not available or tolerated, and only validated BP devices should be used.