Prevalence of home blood pressure measurement among selected hypertensive patients : Results of a multicenter survey from six hospital outpatient hypertension clinics in Italy

Aim. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of home blood pressure (BP) measurement, the type of devices and accuracy in a large sample of hypertensive patients referred to hospital outpatient hypertension clinics. Methods. Eight hundred and fifty‐five consecutive treated hypertensive patients who attended six specialized centers during a period of 4 months were included. They underwent the following procedures: (i) detailed medical interview by a structured questionnaire; (ii) physical examination; (iii) standard 12‐lead electrocardiogram; (iv) BP measurements taken by a validated mercury sphygmomanometer and patient's devices. Results. A total of 640 (74.7%) of 855 patients were regularly performing home BP measurement. These patients were on average younger than those not practising it (58 vs 60 years, p<0.01); men were more numerous than women (58 vs 44%, p  =  0.03) and had higher educational level. Electronic arm‐cuff instruments were the most frequently used devices (58%) followed...