24-Hour Blood Pressure Monitor (ABPM) Across the UK
Home 24-hour blood pressure monitoring with Consultant Cardiologist interpretation
Private 24-hour blood pressure monitoring, delivered to your home anywhere in the UK.
Have your blood pressure recorded automatically through a normal day and night, with the readings reviewed by Consultant Cardiologist Dr Salam Salloum (GMC 5209498).
This test is used to confirm or exclude high blood pressure, to check that treatment is working, and to look into dizziness or low readings.
No hospital visit is needed. The device is posted to you and returned in a prepaid envelope.
What is a 24-hour blood pressure monitor (ABPM)?
A 24-hour blood pressure monitor, also called ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), is a small automatic device worn on a belt and linked to a cuff on your upper arm. It measures your blood pressure repeatedly while you go about a normal day and night, usually every 20 to 30 minutes in the day and less often overnight. The readings are averaged and reviewed by a consultant cardiologist.
Blood pressure changes all the time. A single clinic reading can be higher than your usual level (the white-coat effect) or lower than the true level, and it tells you nothing about sleep or daily activity. A 24-hour recording gives a fuller picture and is the test NICE recommends to confirm a diagnosis of high blood pressure.
Why have 24-hour blood pressure monitoring?
- To confirm high blood pressure (hypertension) when clinic readings are 140/90 mmHg or higher, as recommended by NICE.
- White-coat hypertension: readings are high only in the clinic.
- Masked hypertension: readings are normal in the clinic but high at home or at work.
- To check treatment: whether medicines control blood pressure through the whole day and night.
- Dizziness, light-headedness or falls: to look for low blood pressure or large swings (see low blood pressure).
- Night-time pattern: blood pressure normally falls during sleep, and a smaller fall can signal higher risk.
Who is this service for?
The test is suitable for adults who:
- have had a high clinic or pharmacy blood pressure reading and want to confirm it;
- take blood pressure medicines and want to check control;
- have dizziness, headaches or blackouts and want to know whether blood pressure is involved;
- have a family history of high blood pressure or a higher heart risk;
- have been asked by their GP or another doctor to have 24-hour monitoring.
It is not suitable for chest pain or sudden symptoms that need urgent assessment (see below).
What our UK-wide 24-hour blood pressure monitor service includes
- The monitor delivered to your home anywhere in the UK.
- A prepaid return envelope.
- A report reviewed by Consultant Cardiologist Dr Salam Salloum.
- A follow-up consultation to discuss your results, free of charge.
How it works
- Book the monitor on its own or together with a telephone or video consultation. You can request it yourself or be referred.
- Receive the device by post, with a prepaid return envelope and instructions.
- Wear it for 24 hours during a normal day, and note your activities and sleep times in a short diary.
- Return it in the prepaid envelope.
- Report: a consultant-reviewed report within 48 to 72 working hours of you posting the monitor back.
- Results: a follow-up consultation to discuss them is free of charge.
Wearing a 24-hour blood pressure monitor: what to expect
- When the cuff inflates, stop what you are doing, relax your arm and keep it still by your side until the cuff deflates.
- Carry on with a normal day and avoid unusual or strenuous exercise.
- Wear loose sleeves that do not squeeze the cuff, and keep the device dry, so do not bathe, shower or swim while wearing it.
- Take your usual medicines unless you have been told otherwise.
- At night the cuff may wake you. This is normal and the readings are still valid. Keep the tube clear of your body so it is not trapped.
- If a reading fails, the cuff usually tries again. Do not remove it unless it causes severe pain, numbness or swelling.
Normal 24-hour blood pressure readings: what the results mean
The report gives your average for the day, your average for the night, and the highest and lowest readings. NICE uses the daytime average, based on at least 14 daytime readings, to decide whether blood pressure is raised.
- Below 135/85 mmHg: within the usual range for most adults.
- 135/85 mmHg or higher: stage 1 hypertension, if clinic readings were also 140/90 or higher.
- 150/95 mmHg or higher: stage 2 hypertension, if clinic readings were also 160/100 or higher.
- Night-time: blood pressure usually falls by about 10 to 20 per cent during sleep. A smaller fall, or a rise, is worth discussing because it can be linked to higher cardiovascular risk.
Targets differ for people already on treatment and for those aged 80 or over, so your own result is explained in the follow-up consultation. For home readings, see our blood pressure checker.
24-hour blood pressure monitor price and booking
Choose the monitor on its own, or together with a telephone or video consultation with Dr Salloum:
| Test | Test alone | With telephone consultation | With video consultation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24-hour blood pressure monitor | £300 | £375 | £400 |
Prices include delivery of the monitor to your home, a prepaid return envelope and a report reviewed by Consultant Cardiologist Dr Salam Salloum. The package prices include a telephone or video consultation with Dr Salloum.
To establish the most suitable test, and the one that will give the most diagnostic information, we recommend having a consultation before booking your monitor. A follow-up consultation to discuss your results is free of charge.
Booking the consultation first still gets the package price. You can book a telephone or video consultation from anywhere in the UK, seven days a week. To compare with other monitors, see nationwide cardiac monitoring.
When to seek urgent help
Call 999 if you have chest pain, severe breathlessness, weakness or numbness on one side, difficulty speaking, a sudden severe headache, fainting or confusion, whatever your blood pressure readings.
A reading of 180/120 mmHg or higher, or any very high reading with symptoms, needs same-day medical assessment. Remove the cuff and seek help; do not wait for the 24 hours to finish. A monitor is not an emergency service.
Questions to ask your cardiologist about blood pressure monitoring
- Is my blood pressure really high, or only high in the clinic?
- What were my daytime and night-time averages?
- Does my blood pressure fall enough at night?
- Do I need treatment, and which medicine suits me?
- What target should I aim for?
- Do I need other tests, such as a heart scan, ECG or kidney tests?
- How should I check my blood pressure at home?
- Which lifestyle changes would help most?
- When should the test be repeated?
- Which readings or symptoms mean I should seek urgent help?
Guidelines and sources
This page follows NICE guideline NG136 (hypertension in adults: diagnosis and management), including its recommendations on ambulatory and home blood pressure monitoring, and the 2024 ESC guidelines for the management of elevated blood pressure and hypertension. It is general information and does not replace personal medical advice.
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FAQ: 24-Hour Blood Pressure Monitor
Is home blood pressure monitoring as good as a 24-hour monitor?
A properly done home series, with two readings morning and evening for 4 to 7 days, is a good alternative, and NICE accepts either to confirm high blood pressure. The 24-hour test adds night-time readings and readings during normal activity. Try our blood pressure checker and printable diary.
Will the cuff disturb my sleep?
It may wake you at night. This is normal and the readings are still valid.
Do I take my usual medicines?
Yes, unless you have been told otherwise. The test shows how your blood pressure behaves on your usual treatment.
Is it the same as a heart rhythm monitor?
No. A blood pressure monitor records pressure; a Holter or longer ECG monitor records the heart rhythm. They answer different questions, and both are available through nationwide cardiac monitoring.
Does the test hurt?
It is not painful, though the cuff feels tight for a few seconds each time it inflates.
Do I need a referral?
No. You can request the test yourself or be referred by your GP or another doctor.
Can I shower or exercise while wearing it?
Keep the device dry, so do not bathe, shower or swim. Avoid strenuous exercise, because it raises blood pressure and can make the results harder to interpret.
When will I get my report?
Within 48 to 72 working hours of you posting the monitor back. A follow-up consultation to discuss the results is free of charge.
Medically reviewed by Dr Salam Salloum, Consultant Cardiologist. Last reviewed: . This page is for general information and does not replace personal medical advice.