The 7-Day Home Blood Pressure Protocol Explained
Measuring and logging guide ยท Last reviewed November 2, 2026
A 7-day home blood pressure protocol is a simple schedule for collecting enough readings to get a steadier picture than a single measurement can give. It is often requested by clinicians who want home readings alongside office visits.
The schedule
- Measure for seven days in a row.
- Each day, take two readings in the morning and two in the evening, about a minute apart.
- That is up to 28 readings in total.
About setting the first day aside
Several guidelines recommend leaving out the first day's readings when averaging a 7-day log, and Home BP Log follows that: Day 1 readings are listed but not averaged, so you can always see what was left out.
The research is not unanimous. A 2019 systematic review of self-monitoring schedules found no convincing evidence that leaving out day 1 is necessary, and suggested that a shorter schedule can be enough unless the average is close to a decision threshold. Your clinician may ask for a different schedule, and you should follow theirs.
How the average is worked out
- Every reading from days 2 to 7 counts once. This is an average of readings, not an average of averages.
- Morning and evening are averaged separately, and there is an overall average too.
- Results are rounded to whole numbers, and the number of readings behind each one is shown.
- At least 12 readings after Day 1 are needed for a usable result, and missing sessions are listed.
If you miss a session
Missing a reading does not ruin the log. Record what you have and note what is missing. Your clinician can decide whether it is enough, and the calculator will tell you which sessions had no readings.
The full rules are on the how it works page.