According to a study, involving 430 people and done by W. J. Verbek in the Netherlands, people with hypertension can lower their pressure and usage of medications more effectively if they monitor their pressure themselves. Self monitoring saves the patient costly visits to the doctor’s office and provides him with a far more accurate and comprehensive record of his blood pressure history. This record will be helpful to your doctor who will then be able to better understand and treat your hypertension.

The best time of the day to take a blood pressure reading is midmorning because early in the morning usually blood pressure is highest. Take readings three to four times a day.

Your baseline blood pressure needs to be set. For this purpose, take the reading with the highest systolic number and the lowest diastolic number. Thus, readings of 150/94, 146/92, and 148/90 would give you a baseline of 150/90.

Set a place for date, number of times you will take the reading, a place for your blood pressure and pulse reading and a graph of your blood pressure. Keeping in mind your baseline, include 20 digits higher than the systolic number and 20 digits lower than the diastolic number. For example, if your baseline is 150/90, then your graph must have a range from 170 to 70. This is to ensure that the different readings will be accommodated in the chart.

Take a lined paper and draw columns on it or print out a table from the computer. The left-hand column contains the word "Date" at the top and then numbers down the page starting with 170 and ending with 70 in five-digit increments. The last two rows at the bottom are for you to write your blood pressure and pulse numbers.

Make sure that you are rested and relaxed before taking down your blood pressure and pulse reading. Set fixed timings for taking the readings. You can start by checking your blood pressure in the morning and evening or once daily. Once your blood pressure stabilises, you can check it less frequently. Whenever you check it, do not forget to note it down on your chart.

Keep dotting your highest and lowest points on the chart and make a graph out of it by connecting the all the dots of all the blood pressure readings.

It is very effective in giving you one overall look at your blood pressure record. Stay healthy by maintaining this chart.

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