24 hour blood pressure recording

Patient Information Leaflet

Introduction 

You have been given this leaflet as your GP or hospital consultant has suggested you would benefit from having your blood pressure monitored for 24 hours. This leaflet gives more information on what this involves.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Cardiology Department.

What is 24 hour blood pressure recording?

It is used to record your blood pressure (BP) at regular intervals over a 24 hour period during your normal routine. You will be asked to keep a brief diary of your activities during this time. This will help us to assess such things as:

• Whether your BP is consistent with your activity level.
• If your BP is being controlled by your medications.

What are the benefits?

It is normal for blood pressure to change during the day because of anxiety, diet, exercise, sleep or any blood pressure medication you may take. As a result, taking a single blood pressure measurement in the clinic is not always a very accurate way of checking your blood pressure.

Measuring it over a 24 hour period, and comparing this with your activities, gives us a much more accurate measure of your BP during your daily life.

How is my BP recorded?

An inflatable cuff is secured around your upper arm. This is connected to a small monitoring device worn on a belt around your waist. The cuff will inflate and deflate at regular intervals over a 24 hour period, to measure and record your blood pressure.

You do not need to stay in hospital and you can continue with most of your normal daily activities during the test. The main activity you will not be able to do is have a bath or shower.
How is the monitor fitted?

You will need to come into the Cardiology Department to have the monitor fitted. Please wear loose-fitting clothing to your appointment, as the equipment is fitted underneath your clothes.

We will do your ECG and take your BP as a reference point before the 24 hour recorder is fitted. A cardiac physiologist will then fit the inflatable cuff on the most appropriate arm for you. Some monitors also have leads attached to the chest via sticky electrodes.

The cuff will be inflated for a test run and adjusted, if necessary. After this, the cuff will inflate at regular intervals, usually every 30 minutes during the day and every 60 minutes during the night.

You will also be issued with a diary sheet and the staff will explain how to fill it in. Please feel free to ask questions at this point.

This procedure takes approximately 20 minutes.

What do I need to do at home?

When the monitor is taking your BP, movements of your arm and hand may interfere with the readings, particularly while the cuff is deflating. This may cause the machine to re-take the measurement. Therefore, please try and remain as still as possible during readings to minimise extra cuff inflations.
Please fill in your diary sheet, as you have been instructed.

What are the risks?

Please be aware that bruising may occur while you are wearing this device.

Repeated squeezing of the upper arm is unavoidable and uncomfortable and may result in some bruising under the cuff.

Between recordings, your hand and arm should return to normal. If you have swelling, discoloration or pain in between the measurements, please take the device off.

How do I get the results?

You will need to return to the Cardiology Department the day after and at the same time you had the monitor fitted, to have it removed. This will only take about five minutes. We can then read the monitor and produce a report. We will send your report back to your GP or hospital consultant who asked for the test. They will be in touch with you to discuss the results.

If you arrange transport through your GP, two visits will be needed for fitting and removal of the recorder. If transport is very difficult for you, we may be able to arrange for the monitor to be collected so you only make one trip. Ask us or your GP about this.

These machines are essential medical devices so please ensure you return your device on the agreed date and time. Someone else will be waiting to use it. 

If you have any questions, or if there is anything you do not understand, please contact the Russells Hall Hospital switchboard number on 01384 456111 and ask for the relevant department who issued this leaflet. If you have any feedback on this patient information leaflet please email dgft.patient.information@nhs.net

This leaflet can be made available in large print, audio version and in other languages, please call 0800 073 0510.

Originator: Cardiology Department. Date reviewed: August 2025. Next review due: September 2028. Version: 4. DGH ref: DGH/PIL/00412.