Heart surgeon says ‘measuring blood pressure once is not enough’, suggests best way to do it: What is the ‘7-2-2 rule’

Dr London emphasises the importance of the 7-2-2 rule and waist-to-height ratio in monitoring health, particularly for high blood pressure.

Your blood pressure is one of the most common indicators of your overall health, including your heart health. While visiting your physician to check your numbers or just doing it at home is the most common way to measure your blood pressure, knowing the best way to do it can save your life and help detect early warning signs.

On September 4, Dr Jeremy London, a board-certified heart surgeon, posted a clip from his podcast interview with Dr Mark Hyman on Instagram explaining the ‘best way to measure your blood pressure’. In the video, Dr London stressed that just checking your blood pressure once in a while is not enough; one should follow two key steps: ‘the 7-2-2 rule and the waist-to-height ratio’.

The 7-2-2 rule

The first essential step, per Dr London, is to keep a blood pressure cuff at home and check one's blood pressure. He suggested, “If you can't do that, find a friend who has a blood pressure cuff and take it on a regular basis. It's really the silent killer for a reason because it's not a problem until it's a problem. Doing it once at your primary care visit is not enough.”

What is the 7-2-2 rule? According to Dr London, it means ‘for seven days, twice a day, two measurements, record them, and take an average’. Here's what you have to do:

• Take your blood pressure for 7 days
• 2 times per day, morning and evening
• 2 measurements each time
• Take an average of all recordings. Don’t rely solely on a single annual blood pressure reading.

“That's what your physician really wants to know and what they need to know to be able to come up with an accurate number,” Dr London highlighted.

The waist-to-height ratio

Dr London's next suggestion was to find out your waist-to-height ratio. Stressing that your weight is not always an indicator of your health, Dr London explained that it's the distribution of your body fat that matters. And that's why he recommends that people check their waist-to-height ratio.

He suggests getting a tape measure and being honest about where the fat is and measuring it. Usually, it should be around the belly button. He cautioned that you don't want the number to exceed 0.5.

It is an indicator of the amount of intra-abdominal fat: “that visceral fat functions as an endocrine organ. Those are two very simple places. You don't have to go to a physician's office,” he added.

Blood pressure is a modifiable cardiovascular risk factor

Lastly, Dr London highlighted that 50% of Americans have high blood pressure, and many Americans don't even realise that they have it. Meanwhile, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), an estimated 200 million adults in India suffer from high blood pressure (hypertension). But according to Dr London, it's the most modifiable cardiovascular risk factor that we have.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

Dr Jeremy London is a board-certified cardiovascular surgeon with more than 25 years of experience. He has an MD from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, and his focus is on the intersection of lifestyle, preventive medicine, and evidence-based longevity.