When did you last have your blood pressure checked? The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends screening for high blood pressure in adults 18 years or older who have not been diagnosed with it, and gives this recommendation a Grade A. How often you should be checked depends on your age and your risk. Here is what the recommendation says.
Who should be screened
The recommendation applies to adults 18 years or older without known high blood pressure. The USPSTF concluded with high certainty that screening adults for high blood pressure has substantial net benefit. High blood pressure affects about 45% of adults in the United States and is a major contributing risk factor for heart failure, heart attack, stroke and chronic kidney disease.
How often to be checked
Evidence on the best screening schedule is limited, but the USPSTF describes reasonable options:
- Every year for adults 40 or older and for adults at increased risk.
- Every 3 to 5 years for adults 18 to 39 who are not at increased risk and have had a normal reading before.
What raises your risk
The USPSTF gives Black adults, people with high-normal blood pressure and people with overweight or obesity as examples of adults at increased risk. Other risk factors include older age, family history, lack of physical activity, stress, tobacco use, a diet high in fat or sodium or low in potassium, and excessive alcohol intake.
How screening is done
Screening starts with a blood pressure measurement in the office, taken on the upper arm with a validated and accurate device while you are seated, after 5 minutes of rest. If the reading is high, the USPSTF recommends confirming it with measurements taken outside the office, at home or with a portable monitor, before starting treatment.
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Primary care, mental health, and addiction medicine in one practice. New patients are often able to be scheduled within a week of requesting an appointment.
If you do have high blood pressure
The benefits of treating high blood pressure in preventing stroke, heart failure and heart disease events are well documented. Treatment can include lifestyle changes, medication or both, and the choice can depend on how high your blood pressure is, your age and other risk factors.
A question to bring to your next visit
"Based on my age and risk, how often should my blood pressure be checked?"
Blood pressure care at Hope Integrative Medicine
Our primary care team offers preventive visits at our West Ashley office that cover age- and risk-appropriate screening, and helps patients manage high blood pressure: you establish care in person in West Ashley, then routine care can continue by telehealth across South Carolina when appropriate. New patients are often able to be scheduled within a week of requesting an appointment. Request an appointment.
Every patient is different. This article is general information, not medical advice, and may not apply to you. The right medication depends on your diagnoses, other health conditions and current medicines, so take medication only as directed by the provider managing your care. They are your best guide to the treatment that fits you. It is not medical advice and does not create a patient–provider relationship. Every situation is different, so see a provider who can evaluate yours and develop a plan of care. If you are ever in doubt about an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Frequently Asked Questions
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening adults 18 years or older who have not been diagnosed with high blood pressure. It gives this recommendation a Grade A.
The USPSTF suggests yearly screening for adults 40 or older and for adults at increased risk. Screening every 3 to 5 years is appropriate for adults 18 to 39 who are not at increased risk and had a prior normal reading.
The USPSTF recommends confirming the diagnosis with blood pressure measurements taken outside the clinical setting, at home or with a portable monitor, before starting treatment.
The Task Force gives Black adults, people with high-normal blood pressure and people with overweight or obesity as examples. Other risk factors include older age, family history, lack of physical activity, stress, tobacco use, a diet high in fat or sodium or low in potassium, and excessive alcohol intake.
High blood pressure affects about 45% of adults in the United States and is a major contributing risk factor for heart failure, heart attack, stroke and chronic kidney disease. Treatment can include lifestyle changes, medication or both.