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	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Thijs and coauthors¹ recently proposed reference values for self-recorded blood pressure (BP). Brody and colleagues² examined the test-retest reliability of at-home self-measured BP with an automatic device (AUD). These authors concluded that the at-home AUD measurements may be reliable when multiple readings are taken by trained patients and that the use of AUDs may be adequate for clinical and research purposes.

Before recommending that this technique be used in research, several points deserve emphasis. First, the accepted standard device used³ for noninvasive BP measurement is the mercury sphygmomanometer. An AUD may be a convenient surrogate for self-measurement of BP for patients who have difficulty in achieving skill and accuracy with a mercury sphygmomanometer. Second, when choosing an AUD for clinical use or for research, preference should be given to devices that have been authorized by a regular validation procedure.^4-5 However, the accepted validation protocols are time consuming and expensive because . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Jan A. Staessen, MD, PhD
Leuven, Belgium

Eoin O'Brien, MD, FRCP
Dublin, Ireland

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