[Blood pressure self-monitoring]. / L'autorilievo della pressione arteriosa.

The blood pressure is measured, usually, in the last years by the patient at home. The method is useful for the screening of the true hypertensive patients, for the follow-up of "white coat" hypertension, for the control of antihypertensive therapy, and for the clinical trials. The home blood pressure is closer to real blood pressure of a subject and it is better correlated than clinical pressure to target organ damage. The normal values, 135/85 mmHg, are been established by meta-analysis studies. Automatic oscillometric devices should be used. The method, very useful in clinical practice, has to improve in accuracy and measures validation. Doctor has to spend more time to train the patient to use the devices correctly.