Using 15-Minute Serial Blood Pressures as an Alternative to Measuring a Single Blood Pressure

Thirty-minute office blood pressure (OBP-30) is an alternative to ambulatory blood pressure (BP) measurement, yet is impractical to implement. This study aimed to determine whether unattended BP readings over 15 minutes would result in a similar probability of obtaining a BP of <140/90. Sixty-seven adults self-described as having high BP were analyzed. BP was measured at baseline and every 5 minutes for 15 minutes with the initial reading compared to the average of the last three readings (OBP-15). Compared to baseline, there was a decline in both average systolic (4.2 points) and diastolic (2.8 points) BP. The probability of BP control predicted by multivariate model was 71.6% at baseline and 78.0% using OBP-15 (p=0.011). The increase in BP control from initial to OBP-15 measurement was significant for indigenous or persons of color compared to whites, and men compared to women. OBP-15 is convenient and results in lower BP readings and higher probability of BP control compared to the initial reading.