If you’re concerned about whether your home blood pressure monitor is accurate, there are a few things you can do to check. First, make sure you’re using the right size cuff for your arm circumference. If the cuff is too small or too large, it can give inaccurate readings. Second, take your blood pressure at the same time each day, preferably in the morning before you’ve had coffee or tea, exercised, or taken any medications that might affect your readings. To get the most accurate reading possible, place the cuff on your bare skin, not over clothing. Sit quietly with your back straight and feet flat on the floor for at least five minutes before taking your reading. Rest your arm on a table so that the cuff is level with your heart. Once you have your reading, compare it to the average blood pressure for your age, sex, and height.
Despite the fact that some BP monitors have not passed rigorous validation testing, they may still be approved for marketing and sale by regulatory authorities. Guidelines for hypertension recommend that a blood pressure monitor that has passed validation testing be used to accurately measure blood pressure. The following are some of the online platforms where you can buy a BP monitor: several of which are country-specific and two of which are general (international) listings. The leading risk factor for mortality and morbidity globally is raised blood pressure, which kills approximately 10 million people each year. It is estimated that accurate identification of the condition and the initiation of appropriate interventions for lowering blood pressure significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other adverse events. Only between 6% and 15% of the available BP monitors are validated. There are several registries managed by reputable country-specific and international organizations that track the validation status of BP monitors.
Search for a registry on the internet to determine whether a monitor from your computer has been validated for accuracy (Figure 1). To use such registries effectively, users must first learn about their characteristics and then choose the best one for them. The following two general registries are used to determine whether a BP monitor has been validated. In order to search for either registry, the monitor’s manufacturer and model must be entered. Inform the user of this information by writing it on the box or casing of the oil monitor. A monitor’s validation has a low chance of success if it does not have this information. When the query is shown in Internet search results, the Medaval registry for the BP monitor of interest is found.
If you locate the Assessment section, the monitor will be validated if it is recommended. The Medaval rating system, which includes a five-star scale, also recommends monitors (https://medaval.ie/medaval-star-rating-criteria/), but any monitor that meets these requirements is a must. Most BP monitors are not validated for accuracy, making them unsuitable for clinical or home use. This paper provides a guide to using online validated registries for purchase of a blood pressure monitor, and it is useful for anyone who wants to buy one. There are numerous practical resources available on self-BP monitoring from hypertension societies and public health agencies. The publication was supported by a Grant Cooperative Agreement funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This paper does not represent the views of AIMBP members on all issues, and the opinions expressed are those of the paper’s authors.
CD is supported by a British Heart Foundation Centre of Research excellence Award (RE/18/6/34217). Guidelines for clinical practice are published by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. Chapter 2 of the 7th Brazilian Guideline on Hypertension, “Diagnosis and Classification,” addresses hypertension diagnosis. Hypertens Res. 2019, 42(9):1235*1481. According to the latest position statement from The Lancet Commission on Hypertension, global accuracy standards for blood pressure measurement devices are being improved. Nerenberg KA, Zarnke KB, Leung AA, Unger T, Borghi C, and Charchar F. Padwal, Campbell, and Weber, MA, in the paper.
A collaboration between researchers at the University of Utah and the American Heart Association (AHA) that seeks to improve accuracy in blood pressure measurement. I am feeling a little anxious right now because I just realized I had my appendix removed. Please wait a few minutes before I try to ask something that I just learned. The STRIDE BP campaign is an international effort to make blood pressure measurements more precise.
Platinum from Omega is the most accurate blood pressure monitor on the market.
Maintaining your home blood pressure monitor calibrated Automatic blood pressure monitors should be re-calibrated at least once every two years – the instructions on your monitor will tell you how often to do so. You will be able to see the monitor’s results in this setting if it has been tested and adjusted to make sure it is giving you the correct results.
