Accurate home blood pressure monitor?

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jstat
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Accurate home blood pressure monitor?

Post by jstat »

Went to the dentist today and he took my blood pressure using some sort of wrist cuff that looked like it came from a CrackerJack box. The reading was worrisomely high (150/100) but not entirely believable (last cuff measurement was 130/85).

Any advice on which, if any, home blood pressure monitor is worth buying? Should I just buy a blood pressure cuff and get one of my physician or nurse friends to teach me how to use it?
livesoft
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Post by livesoft »

Walmart sells Omron (aka Reli-On) ones for about $40 to $50. I once went directly from the dentist office to my doctor who measured a much lower value. I don't have white coat syndrome with my doctor or at home, but I do at the dentist. I think it has to do with the dental technician and boobs in my face.

One you start reading your own, you will be surprised at how much a salty meal raises your bp and how much sweating away a quart of water will lower your bp.
Fallible
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Re: Accurate home blood pressure monitor?

Post by Fallible »

jstat wrote:Any advice on which, if any, home blood pressure monitor is worth buying? Should I just buy a blood pressure cuff and get one of my physician or nurse friends to teach me how to use it?
Consumer Reports has rated home blood pressure monitors so I would check there first. As I recall, CR included recommendations on types of monitors and how to use them (although instructions come with the monitors). I would also discuss this with your doctor.
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Jake46
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Post by Jake46 »

I have borderline high blood pressure. My cardiologist recommended an Omron upper arm electronic monitor. I have used it for years and its results are very close to those at the doctor's office.
CaptMidnight
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Post by CaptMidnight »

The Omron HEM-711 was highly rated by both Consumer Reports and some British report when I bought it for $35 a few years ago from Amazon. However, I would check the latest discussion from CR. Make sure to get the right size cuff for your arm.

It's also important to learn how to take a blood pressure reading, which no doctor has ever done correctly for me:

sit in a chair with your back supported and both feet flat on the ground
your arm must be supported so that the upper arm is horizontal and at the level of your heart. I use a pillow on the table in front of me.
you should not have eaten for half an hour and should have been awake for at least an hour.
do not speak or move while the measurement is taken

Do this every day at the same time and log the results which you can bring to your doctor. Much better data than twice a year in the doctor's office.
The history of thought and culture is ... a changing pattern of great liberating ideas that inevitably turn in suffocating straightjackets... | --Isaiah Berlin
livesoft
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Post by livesoft »

The Omron model I have has memory, so it stores about 30 readings each for two different people. If you want to show the nurse or doctor your BP, you can just take the thing in and have 'em look at your readings. You will find that your BP is rather variable throughout the day and dependent on many factors. All this is well known, but interesting nevertheless to see the wide range for your own body.
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jstat
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Post by jstat »

Sounds like the "Omron HEM-780 Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor with ComFit Cuff" may be the thing to buy. The HEM-711 seems to have been discontinued, and I need a 15" cuff.

There does seem to be some technique required to use one of these things correctly. Not clear to me that the dentist used the wrist one properly.
superthan34
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Post by superthan34 »

I have the 780, and it's worked quite well for me.
DTSC
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Post by DTSC »

Omron is a good brand. If you want to save money, you can get one without all the bells and whistles which you inflate manually rather than electronically. You don't need one with memory - paper and pencil works fine.

ABSOLUTELY DO NOT get one with a wrist/forearm cuff. Those measure erratically and cannot be trusted. Get one which is wrapped around your upper arm. Make sure the cuff is the right size (adult versus large adult).
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Steelersfan
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Post by Steelersfan »

Many drug stores that seem to have sprung up on every street corner have blood pressure measurement machines that do it quite well, IMHO.
UrbanMedic
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Post by UrbanMedic »

Steelersfan wrote:Many drug stores that seem to have sprung up on every street corner have blood pressure measurement machines that do it quite well, IMHO.
They don't fit a lot of arms, though. Mine don't fit and as such, the BP they show is higher than it ought to be. I'd just get a manual cuff and stethoscope. If you have someone who can take it for you, it takes about 30 minutes of practice to get good enough at it. Cheap, reliable. Easy.
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Post by Fallible »

livesoft wrote: You will find that your BP is rather variable throughout the day and dependent on many factors.
This is so true, and why some doctors have patients wear a monitor (from the doctor's office) for 24 hours or more to more accurately judge pressure.
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BlueEars
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Post by BlueEars »

CaptMidnight wrote:...(snip)...
It's also important to learn how to take a blood pressure reading, which no doctor has ever done correctly for me:

sit in a chair with your back supported and both feet flat on the ground
your arm must be supported so that the upper arm is horizontal and at the level of your heart. I use a pillow on the table in front of me.
you should not have eaten for half an hour and should have been awake for at least an hour.
do not speak or move while the measurement is taken
...
Good points about how to take your BP. In my experience the drugstore montors were inaccurate. The nurse at my doc's office does not follow the above procedure. Also there is something called "white coat syndrome" where people can have incorrect BP readings, probably because of nervousness at the doc's office.

I took my BP monitor to the doc's office and used it there to check if the readings agreed under similar conditions.
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FrugalInvestor
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Post by FrugalInvestor »

Another vote for Omron here. We recently purchased one for my mother-in-law and it is very easy for her to use, gives readings quickly and seems to provide accurate and consistent readings.
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JimHalpert
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Post by JimHalpert »

get the omron at costo and take it to your doctor's nurse (should be no charge) and have them take your bp and then compare the reading to the omron.
ClaireTN
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Post by ClaireTN »

We have an Omron HEM-780. Doctor has tested it twice, and it is very accurate. Be sure you get the kind that goes on your upper arm. The finger and wrist ones aren't as reliable.
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wshang
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Post by wshang »

Unless you have an established diagnosis of hypertension, as a physician I would not recommend purchasing a unit as a response to this episode. There are many factors which enter into an accurate measurement, not the least of which are two accurate human readings, taken in a relaxed setting. If I were you, I'd find a nurse/healthcare worker friend get some readings before doing anything more.
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Post by livesoft »

I think Omron might be the only company that makes these things. When I was shopping*, I saw another brand, but saw it was made by Omron anyways.

*Bought it for my kid's science fair project. It's cheap and informative to have around. I think everyone should get one. It will help you understand blood pressure much better. Furthermore, you will stop fooling yourself about your BP.
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Post by S&L1940 »

jstat wrote:Sounds like the "Omron HEM-780 Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor with ComFit Cuff" may be the thing to buy. The HEM-711 seems to have been discontinued, and I need a 15" cuff.

There does seem to be some technique required to use one of these things correctly. Not clear to me that the dentist used the wrist one properly.
picked up the HEM 711 about a year ago at Wal-Mart; ran about $50. it is the model that can run on batteries and also comes with an A/C plug. the various models come with and without the A/C plug and have different memory capacities. if you do not need bells & whistles the least expensive will work fine. every once in awhile take it with you to the doc to compare readings with their units. not a complex tool but if you check your pressure at home and then go off to the doc you can get different readings and not because of inaccuracies. so taking readings with your unit within minutes of the doc's will show whether your unit gives dependable read outs.

be well
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UrbanMedic
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Post by UrbanMedic »

wshang wrote:Unless you have an established diagnosis of hypertension, as a physician I would not recommend purchasing a unit as a response to this episode. There are many factors which enter into an accurate measurement, not the least of which are two accurate human readings, taken in a relaxed setting. If I were you, I'd find a nurse/healthcare worker friend get some readings before doing anything more.
Good point. In most cases, you can walk in to a fire stations and get your BP checked at no cost. I know a guy that comes into the station each week to get his BP checked and charts it. He also brings meringue bars and pies which is nice.
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family_doc
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Blood Pressure Tips

Post by family_doc »

Hi All.

A response to the above. Comes from a viewpoint of a retired family physician who has taken tens of thousands of bp readings, and who monitors self currently.

All suggestions of home monitor from Omron right on. It's what I have.

A thought. Initial post described one bp reading taken in dentists office with a wrist cuff. Lots of room for errors here. Always remember bp readings are to be used as a set of data points to make decision on lifestyle changes to lower bp, (reason for which is lower bp correlated to less risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney dysfunction) and/or initiation or modification of medication regime, with or without weight reduction, exercise, reduction of alcohol consumption, bp-raising meds and herbs, etc.

One bp reading in dentist's office inadequate for making decisions, IMO. Dentist's office a high stress setting for lots of people, therefore not the best place to make decisions about bp, IMO. Wrist, thumb, and finger bp cuffs pieces of crap, IMO. Many doctor’s offices may also not be the ideal place to check bp. If the people checking the bp seem rushed, slipshod, or lazy, (this includes doctors, nurses, or medical techs), than your own set of correctly taken measurements likely have more validity. Use yours. Studies done to show lowering of bp to lessen risks described above all done with upper arm cuffs. Do the same. Multiple readings taken in consistent, non-stressed environment are the best. For some the doctor’s office is the best place to review and obtain blood pressure readings, but for most people taking multiple readings at home better. I had many people whose bp’s in the office were consistently high, and I knew I had good technique, so I followed their home readings. Made sense to me. I would recommend against taking and using blood pressure measurement from malls, stand-alone clinics, screenings, etc. Most of the time people are rushing around, sit down quickly take a blood pressure reading, and the results are commonly off. Taking your own cuff in and quickly using the office bp machine and yours to correlate accuracy a good exercise also.

Consistent readings are best obtained by the following. The individual should be sitting down, with feet on the floor and upright back, and in a relaxed state, and in regards to your medication, usually at least an hour or two afterwards, so that you are measuring a steady-state situation. Support your arm, no recent meal, and try to be relaxed and bored. The microphone or sensor or stethoscope that listens for the sounds of the brachial artery should be positioned correctly. You can carefully feel where it is just above the elbow, slightly towards the midline of your body with your wrist positioned palm upwards. Make sure you have a properly sized cuff for your arm. There are so many overweight people in America now, that require an extra large or obese cuff for correct measurements. Wrap the cuff tightly around your upper arm. If you inflate the cuff, and it looks like a round sausage, then that is wrong. It should be flat. Be aware of factors that may cause your blood pressure measurements to be off. Taking or not taking medication, recent alcohol usage, fever, illness, recent exercise, herbal products, vitamins and medicines that may affect readings, stressful situations at home, etc. all influence blood pressure.

I hope that these thoughts help you in your decision about obtaining a blood pressure monitor.

Regards,

Family_Doc
Last edited by family_doc on Mon Sep 13, 2010 4:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
smackfu
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Post by smackfu »

Omron makes really good scales too.
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Post by fishnskiguy »

My wife has taken her Omron to the doctor's office twice to compare her Omron to the doctor's BP monitor. It was within five points on both occasions.

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wmcclain
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Re: Accurate home blood pressure monitor?

Post by wmcclain »

jstat wrote:Went to the dentist today and he took my blood pressure using some sort of wrist cuff that looked like it came from a CrackerJack box. The reading was worrisomely high (150/100) but not entirely believable (last cuff measurement was 130/85).
The dental hygenist scared me with one of those wrist cuff measurements so I had the pressure taken elsewhere for a more reassuring value. I bought a home pressure meter at that time, too.

Months later my wife comes home in a panic: "Does the dentist take your pressure? Mine was astronomically high!" Me: "Was it one of those wrist cuffs? Let's double check..." And her real value was much lower.

On the basis of those two samples I decided dentist office wrist cuff measurements are a menace.

-Bill
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Re: Blood Pressure Tips

Post by Fallible »

family_doc wrote:One bp reading in dentist's office inadequate for making decisions, IMO. Dentist's office a high stress setting for lots of people, therefore not the best place to make decisions about bp, IMO.
Thanks for this good information. Do you have any idea why some dentist offices are now taking BP readings? Dentists undoubtedly know it's a high-stress time for patients. When I had my pressure taken at a dentist's office, it was done by a dental hygienist who placed an arm cuff over my sweater and I had to hold my arm up. I had been sitting in the dentist's chair for no more than a minute.
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Post by livesoft »

I think it's a great idea for dentist offices to measure your BP. I'll guess it probably comes from some dental association guideline. Many folks do not go to a doctor unless they are sick, but do go to a dentist regularly. Thus a BP check at the dentist may warn someone much earlier before the "silent killer" gets them.
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Post by RustyShackleford »

My doctor also recommended the $50'ish Omron unit sold
at Walmart, and it checks pretty accurate - although perhaps
it reads a little high on the systolic (as compared to the
doctor's office's manual cuff).

He also believes that the Omron gives erroneously high systolic
readings if you are not resting calmly for at least 15min before
testing.
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Post by retiredjg »

I've completely lost faith in most people taking my blood pressure. About three times out of four, they don't know what they are doing.

For example, one assistant at a doctor's office would let the mercury drop so fast, there was no way to know when the sound actually started or changed. She always got something that would not attract attention, but I knew it was incorrect.

Another person would have me sit on an exam table with my feet dangling. I had one place the stethoscope in the wrong place - I don't know, maybe she was able to hear the right artery just by accident.

I don't know who is training these folks, but it concerns me they are so prone to doing it incorrectly. And the doctors seem to have no idea what their assistants are doing. I mentioned it once. Probably should have done it more than that, but it's kinda hard to say "hey doc, you know your assistant is incompetent?" (Of course, that is not what I would say, but that is what it boils down to....at least on that one skill.)
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segfault
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Post by segfault »

This was a new one for me, too. I've been going to the same dentist for over ten years and was confronted with the blood pressure cuff at my latest visit. Either some agency has set out a new guideline, or one of the patients must've had a heart attack sitting in the chair...
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Post by Fallible »

segfault wrote:This was a new one for me, too. I've been going to the same dentist for over ten years and was confronted with the blood pressure cuff at my latest visit. Either some agency has set out a new guideline, or one of the patients must've had a heart attack sitting in the chair...
I wondered this also and plan to ask the dentist next time why the pressure is being measured. If it's the heart attack thing, I hardly expect them to say that, but it's still worth questioning. I also wonder what dentists do when they get a high reading? Do they advise the patient in any way? I would think the dentist should at least advise the patient to check in with his/her family physician for more readings.
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wmcclain
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Post by wmcclain »

I wondered this also and plan to ask the dentist next time why the pressure is being measured. If it's the heart attack thing, I hardly expect them to say that, but it's still worth questioning. I also wonder what dentists do when they get a high reading? Do they advise the patient in any way? I would think the dentist should at least advise the patient to check in with his/her family physician for more readings.
The hygenist did advise me in the sense of asking me if I knew I had astronomically high blood pressure. She scared me because although I didn't trust her or her wrist cuff gizmo I hadn't had my pressure checked for a while. As I said, later checks showed no problems for me or my wife who had the same experience.

I suppose if they scare people into more regular testing it's a good thing. Certainly good for Omron.

-Bill
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Post by CaptMidnight »

retiredjg wrote:I've completely lost faith in most people taking my blood pressure. About three times out of four, they don't know what they are doing.
In my experience that includes doctors. Makes you wonder if they fail to execute correclty this simple procedure. which you are capable of evaluating, how much is incorrect of the rest of medical practice, which you mostly cannot evaluate?
The history of thought and culture is ... a changing pattern of great liberating ideas that inevitably turn in suffocating straightjackets... | --Isaiah Berlin
strafe
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Re: Blood Pressure Tips

Post by strafe »

family_doc wrote:Hi All.

A response to the above. Comes from a viewpoint of a retired family physician who has taken tens of thousands of bp readings, and who monitors self currently.
[ ... ]
One bp reading in dentist's office inadequate for making decisions, IMO. Dentist's office a high stress setting for lots of people, therefore not the best place to make decisions about bp, IMO. Wrist, thumb, and finger bp cuffs pieces of crap, IMO. Many doctor’s offices may also not be the ideal place to check bp. If the people checking the bp seem rushed, slipshod, or lazy, (this includes doctors, nurses, or medical techs), than your own set of correctly taken measurements likely have more validity. Use yours. Studies done to show lowering of bp to lessen risks described above all done with upper arm cuffs. Do the same. Multiple readings taken in consistent, non-stressed environment are the best. For some the doctor’s office is the best place to review and obtain blood pressure readings, but for most people taking multiple readings at home better. I had many people whose bp’s in the office were consistently high, and I knew I had good technique, so I followed their home readings. Made sense to me. I would recommend against taking and using blood pressure measurement from malls, stand-alone clinics, screenings, etc. Most of the time people are rushing around, sit down quickly take a blood pressure reading, and the results are commonly off. Taking your own cuff in and quickly using the office bp machine and yours to correlate accuracy a good exercise also.

[ ... ]
Regards,

Family_Doc
Agree with you about the importance of not making decisions based on a single measurement. Would like to point out that "white coat hypertension" is not an entirely benign syndrome. There's evidence that white-coat hypertension confers risk intermediate between that of normotension and "true" hypertension. This makes intuitive sense. The sympathetic drive that causes labile hypertension in the (stressful) clinic setting would raise BP in life's other stressful situations.
adam.shelton
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Post by adam.shelton »

For OP, this link should prove useful - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen ... t/128.html
eas
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Post by eas »

retiredjg wrote:I've completely lost faith in most people taking my blood pressure. About three times out of four, they don't know what they are doing.

For example, one assistant at a doctor's office would let the mercury drop so fast, there was no way to know when the sound actually started or changed. She always got something that would not attract attention, but I knew it was incorrect.

Another person would have me sit on an exam table with my feet dangling. I had one place the stethoscope in the wrong place - I don't know, maybe she was able to hear the right artery just by accident.

I don't know who is training these folks, but it concerns me they are so prone to doing it incorrectly. And the doctors seem to have no idea what their assistants are doing. I mentioned it once. Probably should have done it more than that, but it's kinda hard to say "hey doc, you know your assistant is incompetent?" (Of course, that is not what I would say, but that is what it boils down to....at least on that one skill.)
In your case where the measurements were fine anyways I can see how other than being irritated you wouldn't be concerned; however, I would be really adverse to letting someone write down on any piece of paper that is in my medical records a high BP reading because of bad equipment, bad technique, improper cuff size, or anything else like that. Records have a way of following you around for a long time.
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Re: Accurate home blood pressure monitor?

Post by dratkinson »

Timely topic. Searched more reviews and exchanged an Ho-metics (Walgreens branded, second failure in ~3 years) for an Omron BP760. It was what they had in stock and was $59 if you signed up for their free rewards program, otherwise ~$80. Initial impression: Omron is quieter and quicker than exchanged Ho-metics unit.
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Re: Accurate home blood pressure monitor?

Post by gkaplan »

I'm using the LifeSource Model UA-767 Plus monitor that I got through the VA.
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Re: Accurate home blood pressure monitor?

Post by mlebuf »

I have 2 BP monitors. Some years ago I bought Microlife cuff model that was recommended by a cardiologist. It's an automatic model that can take 3 readings in a row and average them. Last year I bought an Omron BP652 wrist model that I picked up at Target. They both track very close to each other. I can't say I get identical readings, but I never get identical readings when I take my BP 2 or 3 times using the same monitor. The wrist model is much easier to use and cheaper.
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mlebuf
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Re: Accurate home blood pressure monitor?

Post by mlebuf »

mlebuf wrote:I have 2 BP monitors. Some years ago I bought Microlife cuff model that was recommended by a cardiologist. It's an automatic model that can take 3 readings in a row and average them. Last year I bought an Omron BP652 wrist model that I picked up at Target. They both track very close to each other. I can't say I get identical readings, but I never get identical readings when I take my BP 2 or 3 times using the same monitor. The wrist model is much easier to use and cheaper.
One other story you may find interesting: Almost 9 years ago, I went to the doc. His assistant took my BP and said it was normal. Then the doc came into the room, took it again and said it was high. I told him the assistant had taken it and it was fine. He said his assistant was wrong. He put me on BP medication taking two pills a day. I tried taking one pill a day and found my readings at home to be normal. I told him about it and said I wasn't sure I needed the pills. He said to go off the pills for two weeks record my BP daily and let him know. My readings remained normal with no pills and I haven't taken any BP medication since. Inasmuch as I'm not a physician, I make no recommendations. Make of the experience what you will.
Best wishes, | Michael | | Invest your time actively and your money passively.
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FreeAtLast
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Re: Accurate home blood pressure monitor?

Post by FreeAtLast »

I have been using the Omron HEM-7200-Z for three years now.....works fantastic.....here's a piece of advice.....if all of a sudden the readings are out of your normal range.....check the batteries, you may need a change.
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HIinvestor
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Re: Accurate home blood pressure monitor?

Post by HIinvestor »

Have always been told that the wrist cuffs tend to be quite inaccurate for blood pressure. We bought a lot of monitors at Costco, which we used in our public health clinics. They ranged inaccuracy. The most accurate was when we had our healthcare professionals use a stethascope and pressure cuff with mercury, but that wasn't practical in noisy settings. For the most part, we were satisfied with the Costco Omeron monitors, which also kept track of the readings over time. When they started providing inaccurate readings, we would return them to Costco (after 1st trying them with new batteries to see if that fixed the problem). Costco was fine with giving us a refund and we'd try to purchase again. If the cuff doesn't fit, you can call Omeron (phone number is in the box) and order one that is your size; they may be a charge--I can't remember.
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LowER
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Re: Accurate home blood pressure monitor?

Post by LowER »

There's an iPhone app for this. Anyone tried it?
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Re: Accurate home blood pressure monitor?

Post by Christine_NM »

Another vote here for the Omron 652 (aka Series 7) wrist unit that mlebuf has. I find it accurate except when it needs new batteries. There is a low batt indicator. It is on sale now at amazon for 44.99.

My BP has gone from too low to borderline high at the dr's office over the past few years, and the Omron readings at home have reflected the same change. (After the tumors using up all my glucose were gone, I gained weight and BP went up too.)

Hint for other borderline cases: google hibiscus tea.
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