Blood pressure monitors

[Janne]

Mesquite, it may be a good idea to speak to the Cardiologist and see what he thinks is the best?

He might be able to give you advise which technique, or machine to buy and use.

 

[Mesquite]

I use an Omron to monitor my BP.

Which Omron model do you use Greg?

 

[greg.g]

Which Omron model do you use Greg?

It's a pro logic pl100.
Seems to be fairly consistent with its readings.

 

[alphaburner]

This one is very good....I use it with no problems

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B019DYT6DA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Imagedude]

Mine, i think, is a Bosch. The readings reflect those taken by nurses and doctors. For best effect you will need a recording app to show you the overall trends in your BP.

 

[MartinK9]

For best effect you will need a recording app to show you the overall trends in your BP.

Or for the non IT savvy..... a pen and paper.

 

[Imagedude]

Or for the non IT savvy..... a pen and paper.

Graph paper...

 

[Robson Valley]

I make no effort to remember my BP. The quack likes to play with his cuff and stethoscope so I let him.
My BP was low all my life then it decided to climb but not too badly. It's back in a normal range now.

 

[hiho]

It is easier to use an electronic for sure. For laymen and pros.
But the manual are more accurate.

If you want to know the resting BP, then you need to rest. If your heart guy needs to know your BP fluctuations - you get an elrctronic attached to you.

I have a family history of heart ‘trouble’ and I have been tested over two days, several times by know. Hell to sleep with it.

Touch wood, nothing.

Horrible things. Had a 24hr one removed today

 

[Janne]

Horrible things. Had a 24hr one removed today

I hope it was worth it, that you have the heart of a teenager!

 

[rabbitrex]

I have an Omron one too. M3. It seems to be quite accurate, concurring with the readings I get at the doctors or elsewhere. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IIOI9FS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[mark oriel]

I read a fascinating article the other day that read, "Arteriosclerosis can be reversed in about a month to six week by diet alone". The gist of it was to increase essential fatty acids into the diet, while at the same time reducing all trans fats and severely reducing dairy products. I would guess increasing exercise is also bound to help, as the increase in heart rate and then recovery will help increase the elasticity of the artery wall. So it makes sense that in simple terms, if the artery walls are reduced of plaque the Diastolic reading would come down and if there is less pressure to push against then the Systolic would also come down. I find a dial sphyg is easier to use than a column sphyg when doing it for someone but the auto cuffs are a lot easier to use yourself. Generally speaking it is the Systolic that fluctuates to "white coat syndrome" and the Diastolic tends to be more of a gradual change.
Any thoughts?

 

[Paul_B]

Isn't it changes that you monitor not absolute reading? In that respect it is more important that you treat it repeatedly with the same kit in the same way at the same time.

Every medical person who's tested my BP has used a digital meter. They have the potential to be accurate indeed as accurate as you will ever need. The old style kit has as much potential to give the inaccurate results. Several reasons, not as easy to do, you have to know how to do it properly which even medical staff these days don't seem to know how.

Also, my readings vary a lot with even the same machine. White coat reading is a big thing with me. I always had a low BP but about 10 years ago I got my first high BP. It led the gp to have me back a week later and again a week after that. I got one low and one high after the first. The gp decided there was nothing wrong. Now I have one measure high and the other low. All within the acceptable range just.

There is a way to check whether a BP meter is considered accurate enough through various national hypertension charities and bodies. Google it to find your national body.

At the end of the day the are so many factors that make a reading inaccurate. I even read that the height above or below your heart the cuff goes can affect the reading. Left or right arm can affect reading. Time of day. So many factors. It's a rough metric I think for John Q Public to use.

At least monitoring changes is a good use rather than worrying about pure accuracy. For example, if you change dose of a drug then a change in BP should be picked up by using the same kit at the same time in the same way. I'm guessing this is more important to the OP than absolute value.

 

[mark oriel]

The reading is the most important, how it is achieved is also very important, as does the accuracy.
With a sphygmomanometer the operator pumps the cuff up until it is higher than you would expect the patients Systolic pressure to be, then with the stethascope on the brachial artery the cuff is slowly released until there is an audible pulse heard, when you first hear this, it is the systolic or upper BP reading, when you first hear it disappear this then gives the Diastolic reading or the lower number. So the upper reading is the pressure in mm mercury or mm hg that the heart is pumping blood out of the heart onto the artery wall or overcome the resistance applied by the cuff.When the pulse is lost audibly this is the Diastolic or the pressure the system is under at rest.
As you say there is less chance of inaccuracy with an auto bp unit most of the time, but, the reliability you get with simplicity would be my choice if going on an expedition or off the beaten track.

 

[mrcharly]

We have just bought an Omron M7 - it is a fancy model that links to a phone app via bluetooth, enables you to transfer readings for up to two users.
The other half went in for a pre-op exam, got initial readings of 187/91, which then reduced to 177/81 after an hour's wait. She then had it checked then next day by a GP - 120/78.

Having a machine at home means we can track and keep an eye on things. It has confirmed that her BP is all over the place and linked directly to headaches and feeling very ill.

 

[Gddd]

Yes the cheap Lloyds pharmacy one has worked well for me too.

 

[Paul_B]

OK brachial artery, where exactly is that and how do no know I've got it? Is it really as simple as you described? Really? Then how is it that I've seen doctors and nurses give up and go to find a working digital unit.

Seriously, I've been to hospitals and seen one digital unit broken or missing a cable. So they get told to use the manual one. After failing to get a reading they went off for a bit and came back with a working digital unit. I've seen that happen more than once in different wards too.

My gp has used the manual one but then went and got the digital too. The digital might not be the best option but it's the preferred option of the medical professions as far as I can tell.

Personally if it's trends in BP that the op needs it for then a digital unit on the recommended list of the British hypertension...whatever...then it's likely to be good enough for home use. If you're worried then go to gp and take a reading with it straight after or before the gp takes one to see how different they are.

I've seen threads like this before. They all get ppl telling you only the aneroid or manual sphygmomanometer is the only option then the experience of ppl in a similar position or need as the op pipe in about using a digital one (usually an omron unit). Usually one of those say how they take it to their GP or hospital visits and cross check out against the professional unit and it is the same or very clear reading every time.

If the home testing is going to be so critical to get it completely accurate then the hospital or gp should be supplying it surely?

 

[peaks]

Seems that this thread is raising a lot of BP........
Lets face it, everything evolves, including a lot medical equipment. The old fashioned sphigs may (or may not) be the Rolls Royce of blood pressure measuring. The vast majority of of medical or nursing staff have no idea of how to use them because they have been trained on the most common kit ie digital.
The vast majority of of BP monitors in everyday clinical situations are digital.

 

[JohnC]

I use an AND model ua-767 digital sphyg at home, works fine. Its a similar model to the ones i give out to patients when we’re doing extended bp records.
It is the trend over time rsther than a one off recording, so i do use an app iBP on my iphone to graph my own recordings, i can print it off for GP/ practice nurse visits and they are happy with the accuracy, though they will do their own measurements as well. My high bp is under control and i have no symptoms, so im just monitoring and that device is ok for that.
We dont use the old mercury sphys at work anymore, but do have aneroid bp devices and use them when there is clinical concerns in an acute setting. The view is that aneroid devices are more accurate, but are not (in general) automatic and require a bit more training, theyre a lot easier to use on someone than use on yourself.

 

[Crowe]

An electronic device may have an error. But it is consistent and is good for recording. When you go to the doctor / nurse, bring your record and device which can be compared, calibrated against manual or electronic at the surgery. Manual measurements reveal a lot more than just blood pressure ! Time of day,level of activity and body position can cause variations most practioners now take three consecutive measurements (see guidelines NICE national health)