Test Overview

Using a home blood pressure monitor lets you keep track of your blood pressure at home. Blood pressure is a measure of how hard the blood pushes against the walls of your arteries as it moves through your body.

Your blood pressure is recorded as two numbers.

• The first number shows how hard the blood pushes when the heart is pumping. This is the systolic pressure.
• The second number shows how hard the blood pushes between heartbeats, when the heart is relaxed and filling with blood. This is the diastolic pressure.

Someone with a systolic pressure of 120 and a diastolic pressure of 80 has a blood pressure of 120/80, or "120 over 80." Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).

Automatic blood pressure monitors

Most people use an automatic monitor to measure their blood pressure at home. These are also called electronic or digital monitors. They have a microphone to detect blood moving through the artery. The cuff wraps around your upper arm. When you press the start button on the monitor, the cuff automatically inflates. Then the cuff automatically deflates, and the monitor takes your blood pressure.