Dr. Marina Abdel Malak is a Family Physician in Mississauga, Ontario. She has served on several committees and groups, including The Primary Care Network and Collaborative Mental Health Network. She has a passion for medical education, patient empowerment, and increasing awareness about the relationship between mental, emotional, and physical health. Dr. Abdel Malak is highly involved in quality improvement initiatives, and her research interests include strategies to support physician wellness, patient self-management, and optimizing physician education.

Abstract
Hypertension is increasingly common—and it is treatable. However, this requires frequent monitoring in order to titre medications, ensure optimal control, and prevent complications. Educating patients on how to monitor their blood pressure at home is central to managing hypertension. This article explores specific advice physicians can give their patients on when and how to monitor their blood pressure at home, and provides resources to use in practice.
Key Words: Hypertension, patient education, monitoring, blood pressure.

Hypertension (HTN) is common among adults, with an estimated 1 in 4 Canadians living with high blood pressure (BP).¹ BP control is essential in order to prevent complications, ranging from renal disease to strokes. Hypertension Canada suggests that blood pressure should be monitored in-office about every month until targets are reached, and then every 3-6 months afterwards (although this is patient dependent).¹

In between visits, however, it is critical for patients to monitor their BP. At-home monitoring by patients has been shown to improve HTN control and prevent complications.² This makes sense: if we are seeing our patients every 3-6 months or so for their BP, what about the time in between? While fluctuations are common, important trends can lead to important changes in patient treatment. For example, should a patient experience extreme stress and forget to take their medication, their BP can increase significantly. Similarly, during times of illness or fatigue, patients may experience hypotensive episodes. Educating our patients on how to monitor their BP out of office, as well as the signs and symptoms to be aware of, is critical.