Free printable blood pressure log sheet (PDF)

Download the free printable blood pressure log (PDF). It's three pages: one page of measuring tips, then two weeks of log sheets, each laid out for morning and evening readings, two at a time, with a box for the average.

The layout follows the schedule doctors use to judge home blood pressure: two readings about a minute apart, morning and evening, for seven days. The American Medical Association calls seven days of twice-daily readings "optimal," and the research behind it has a nickname, the 722 protocol (7 days, 2 readings, 2 times a day).

What's on the log

At the top, fill in which arm you used and whether your cuff goes on the upper arm or the wrist. Use the same arm every time. At the bottom of each sheet there are boxes for the 7-day morning, evening, and overall averages.

How to fill it in

When to measure

Measure in the morning within an hour of waking, after you've used the bathroom, and before breakfast, coffee, and any blood pressure medication. Measure in the evening before bed. If you eat dinner late, measuring before dinner works too. The point is to measure at about the same times every day, so the numbers can be compared.

How to measure

The first page of the PDF covers this, and the full version is in how to measure your blood pressure at home. The short version:

1. No caffeine, exercise, or smoking for 30 minutes before. Empty your bladder.
2. Sit with your back supported, feet flat, legs uncrossed, and your arm resting on a table at heart level.
3. Put the cuff on bare skin and sit quietly for 5 minutes. No talking, no phone.
4. Take a reading, wait about a minute, take a second one. Write both down.

How to work out the averages

Add the top numbers and divide by two, then do the same for the bottom numbers. Round to the nearest whole number. (The same averaging, plus pulse pressure and MAP, is in pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure.)

So that morning's average is 135/85. Don't average the readings as fractions or pick the lower one. Average each number on its own.

For the week, most protocols skip day 1 and average everything from day 2 to day 7. The first day of a new routine tends to read higher, partly because you're still learning the routine and partly because measuring itself is new. If you want to know more, see why your first reading is often higher than your second.

What to do with it

Bring the sheets to your appointment, or take a clear photo and send it through your patient portal before the visit. Your doctor will mostly look at three things: your overall average, whether mornings and evenings differ much, and whether anything stands out in your notes. What your doctor wants to see from your home readings goes into this in more detail.

Don't adjust your own medication based on the log. If the numbers worry you, call your doctor's office and ask whether they want to see them sooner.

If a reading is very high

If a reading is 180/120 or higher and you feel fine, rest for a few minutes and measure again. If it's still that high, contact your doctor right away. If a reading is that high and you have chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, weakness or numbness, vision changes, or trouble speaking, call 911.

Common questions

Do I really need two readings each time?

Yes, if you can. Blood pressure changes from minute to minute, and the second reading is often a little lower than the first. Two readings averaged give a steadier number than one, which is why the guidelines ask for them.

What if I miss a morning or an evening?

Leave the row blank and carry on. A few gaps won't spoil the average. Don't fill in a guess.

Should I use a wrist or an upper-arm cuff?

An upper-arm cuff, if you have the choice. It's what the guidelines recommend and what most validated devices are. If you use a wrist cuff, hold your wrist at heart level for every reading and note it at the top of the sheet.

Is there a version from the American Heart Association?

Target:BP, a program run by the AHA and AMA, offers its own 7-day recording log in 16 languages. It uses the same schedule. This one adds average boxes and a notes column.

Prefer to skip the arithmetic?

BP Log is a free iPhone app that does the same thing as this sheet: it times the minute between your two readings, averages them, keeps morning and evening separate, and turns the week into a report you can print or send to your doctor. The paper version works just as well if you'd rather write it down.