Background: Office blood #pressure (BP) measurement is the cornerstone of #hypertension diagnosis and risk stratification. Inaccurate BP readings can lead to significant misclassification, often overestimating BP and prompting unnecessary lifelong treatment. The Young Investigators Group of the European Society of Hypertension (YIG-ESH) conducted a structured, comprehensive survey among ESH Excellence Centres with the primary objective of providing an updated overview of BP measurement practices in routine clinical care.
Methods: A 17-item survey was created to assess the different modalities, devices and techniques currently used for office BP measurement (OBPM) across ESH excellence centres. The survey was spread via email for 8 weeks (from December 2024 to February 2025).
Results: The survey was sent out to 216 recipients and 96 responses have been collected (response rate 44%) from 29 different countries. Automated electronic devices were used routinely in almost all outpatient facilities (96.7%), while manual auscultatory devices were used in 33.3% of the healthcare facilities. Among manual auscultatory devices, aneroid devices were used by the majority of the participants (73.6%) and mercury sphygmomanometers by 28.8%. BP was measured in seated (91.7%), standing (43.8%) and supine position (32.3%). Most of the respondents performed three (68.8%) or two (22.9%) BP measurements per outpatient. Home BP monitoring was routinely advised by 98.9% of the respondents providing precise instructions on how to perform the required home BP measurements.
Conclusion: Our survey reveals considerable discrepancies in BP measurement, even within highly specialized settings such as the ESH Excellence Centres, with substantial non-adherence to recommended guidelines.
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