How to track blood pressure and blood sugar in one log, on paper or on iPhone
The easiest way to track blood pressure and blood sugar together is one log where every entry has a date, a time, the type of measurement, the value and a short note about what was happening. That can be a paper notebook, a spreadsheet or a single app that handles both measurements. What matters is that you do not split them across two notebooks or two apps that never meet, because the useful questions ("was my sugar also high the morning my blood pressure was?") need both on the same timeline.
This guide is about record keeping. It is not medical advice. Which readings to take, when, and what the numbers mean are decisions for you and your care team.
Step 1: Agree on what to measure and when
Ask your doctor or nurse which measurements they want and at what times. A common setup is blood pressure in the morning and evening plus blood sugar at the times your care plan sets. Write the plan down. A log built around the plan stays short; a log with every possible measurement gets abandoned.
Step 2: Pick one format
Paper notebook. One page per week, one row per measurement: date, time, type (BP or sugar), value, note. Cheap and quick, and easy to hand over at an appointment. The downside is that it is hard to spot trends and easy to leave at home.
Spreadsheet. Columns for date, time, systolic, diastolic, pulse, glucose and note. Leave the cells empty that do not apply to a row. Spreadsheets make charts and averages easy, but typing on a phone is fiddly, and nothing reminds you to measure.
One app for both. Many apps cover only one condition: blood pressure apps such as SmartBP focus on blood pressure, and diabetes apps such as mySugr focus on glucose, meals and carbs. If you need both, pick an app that lets you log each one in the same diary. Our blood pressure log roundup compares several options.
Step 3: Add context every time it is unusual
A number without context is hard to read later. Note things like:
- just had coffee, or exercised
- stressful day, poor sleep
- time of medication, or a meal just before
- a different arm, or a new monitor
You do not need a note for every reading, only for the ones taken in unusual conditions.
Step 4: Set reminders for the times you agreed
Readings taken at random times are hard to compare. Use the phone's Clock or Reminders app, or reminders inside your logging app, for each agreed time. Skipping is fine now and then; guessing a value afterwards is not. Leave the row empty instead.
Step 5: Review once a week, share before appointments
Spend two minutes each week checking that the log is complete. Before an appointment, prepare the period your doctor asked about, as a printout or a file. Bring your questions with it.
Doing it in HealthLog
HealthLog is an iPhone diary built for this combination. In setup you choose the measurements you want to track from blood pressure, blood sugar, weight and pulse, and you can change the choice later.
- Choose blood pressure and blood sugar (add weight or pulse if your plan includes them).
- Set measurement reminders at the times you agreed with your care team.
- Type each reading in from any monitor or meter. If you allow it, HealthLog can also read blood pressure and blood glucose from Apple Health; manual entry stays available if you decline.
- Add notes and tags to readings that need context.
- Browse your history and charts to check the log is complete.
- Before a visit, create a PDF report to print or a CSV file for a spreadsheet or portal. Reports are generated on the device and you choose where they go.
HealthLog needs no account and saves entries in an encrypted file on the device, with optional iCloud sync. It is iPhone only, free to download, and offers Premium as a weekly, monthly or one-time lifetime purchase. It does not log meals or carbs, so if detailed diabetes food tracking is what you need, a diabetes app may suit you better; see HealthLog vs mySugr.
A one-page template
| Date | Time | BP (sys/dia) | Pulse | Glucose | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 07:00 | ||||
| Mon | 08:00 (before breakfast) | ||||
| Mon | 21:00 |
Copy the rows for each day, fill only what you measured, and keep the units your meter shows.
