Current status of the use of validated home blood pressure monitoring devices among Korean patients with hypertension

Abstract

The implementation of Home Blood Pressure Monitoring (HBPM) has improved the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension. Current clinical guidelines advocate the use of validated HBPM devices. However, few studies have examined the current use of validated HBPM devices. We aimed to investigate the current status of the use of validated HBPM devices in real-world hypertensive patients. This study was conducted on Korean patients with hypertension using CareforMe (R), a smartphone healthcare application which allows the patients to record their HBPM data which can be shared with their physicians. The validation status of HBPM devices was identified based on four registries: STRIDE BP, Medaval, the Japanese Society of Hypertension, and dabl (R) Educational Trust. From January 2022 through August 2024, 2731 patients entered the model numbers of their HBPM devices. 56.4% (n = 1539) of the population were male, and the mean age was 53.5 +/- 10.8 years old. 110 models from 33 different manufacturers were identified. 97.0% (n = 2649) of the patients used upper-arm devices and 3.0% (n = 82) used wrist devices. Based on the four registries, 32.7% (n = 36) out of 110 devices were validated, and 51.5% (n = 1407) out of 2731 patients used validated devices. Patients using validated devices tend to use more expensive devices than those using non-validated devices (P < 0.0001). Among Korean patients with hypertension undergoing HBPM, 97.0% of the patients used upper-arm devices and 51.5% of the patients used validated devices. Our results proposed the urgent need for patient education and public accessibility to validated devices for the better management of patients with hypertension.