Home BP Monitoring Can Cut Burden of CVD, Health Care Costs

TUESDAY, July 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Home blood pressure monitoring can reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease and reduce health care costs, according to a study recently published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Yan Li, Ph.D., from the School of Public Health at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and colleagues used a previously developed microsimulation model of cardiovascular disease to estimate the long-term impact of adopting home blood pressure monitoring versus usual care on myocardial infarction, stroke, and health care costs. Averted cases of myocardial infarction and stroke and health care cost savings were estimated in U.S. adults with hypertension and in subpopulations defined by sex, race, ethnicity, and rural/urban area.

The researchers found that adopting home blood pressure monitoring was estimated to reduce myocardial infarction and stroke cases by 4.9 and 3.8 percent, respectively, and to save an average of $7,794 in health care costs per person over 20 years. More averted cardiovascular events and greater cost savings related to adopting home blood pressure monitoring were seen for non-Hispanic Blacks, women, and rural residents compared with non-Hispanic Whites, men, and urban residents.

"Our study is among the first to assess the potential health and economic impact of adopting home blood pressure monitoring among American adults with hypertension," Li said in a statement. "We found that it facilitates early detection, timely intervention, and prevention of complications, leading to improved control and better health outcomes."

Abstract/Full Text