Summary: Adherence to the basic principles of taking home BP measurements makes it possible to obtain reliable BP values that correlate more closely with cardiovascular risk than BP values in office measurements. These basic principles are: using validated devices, a well-chosen cuff, a 7-day measurement schedule and always taking two measurements. The blood pressure values obtained in this way form the basis for the diagnosis of hypertension and are used to assess the effectiveness of hypotensive therapy in long-term follow-up.