Blood pressure monitors are usually very accurate, but in some cases they may give false readings. This can happen if the cuff is not placed correctly on the arm, if the person moves during the reading, or if the monitor itself is not working properly. If a blood pressure reading is abnormally high or low, it is important to check it again to be sure.
Some home blood pressure monitors are inaccurate at times. People who take too much or too little blood pressure medication may experience this. Kidney disease is primarily caused by high blood pressure, which can lead to other health problems. It is strongly advised that people with high blood pressure have their blood pressure checked at least once per week at home. Dr. Christian Ruff was taken aback by the accuracy of some of the machines. A person’s blood pressure should be monitored at home, and Dr. Ruff strongly encourages this. Most people benefit from a device with a large digital readout and an automatically inflating arm cuff.
He says the systolic blood pressure (the top number) on your cuff should be within ten points of the monitor, so it’s generally accurate. It usually takes about two or three years for home blood pressure machines to run out of power. It is best to check it every year at your doctor’s office to ensure that it is still accurate.
Despite this, blood pressure monitors installed at home can be inaccurate at times. According to Dr. Doria, home blood pressure monitors may be inaccurate in 5% to 15% of patients depending on the accuracy threshold used.
What Can Cause False High Blood Pressure Readings?
If an individual consumes a meal containing caffeine, nicotine, or both, their BP readings may be affected, resulting in inaccurate readings. In patients who have full bladders, the systolic blood pressure (SBP) can range from 4 mm Hg to 33 mm Hg, and the white coat effect can result in an error of up to 26 mm Hg.
False blood pressure readings are frequently caused by anxiety or calm. A false reading could be the result of one of two conditions. It is called masked hypertension because it differs from WCH in that it is not accompanied by symptoms. Masked hypertension, on the other hand, may prevent hypertension treatment from being required. Despite the fact that ACC/AHA guidelines recommend that clinics only take two or three blood pressure readings per patient per month to reduce WCH, clinics rarely take more than two readings per patient per month. Although there is no treatment for WCH, some people may be able to detect it by measuring blood pressure several times at home or work. Masked hypertension is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
The American Heart Association recommends using a device with an upper arm cuff to measure blood pressure at home. These devices, in addition to recording readings, eliminate the need for the results to be recorded. Having a good reading is essential to the proper treatment, according to Muntner.
Many Home Blood Pressure Monitors Dispense Inaccurate Readings, Study Finds
According to the new research, many people were probably correct in their beliefs that the majority of blood pressure monitors at home were inaccurate. It is deeply upsetting because high blood pressure kills more people than any other cause. Some home blood pressure monitors give inaccurate readings, but there is no clear explanation; one possibility is that calibrated devices are malfunctioning. As a result, they may not be as precise when measuring blood pressure at various points throughout the day or over time periods. It is possible that your doctor will misdiagnosed you if he or she continues to use a manual blood pressure cuff. The accuracy of manual blood pressure measurements may be hampered by the fact that multiple blood pressure devices are automatically measured. If you have high blood pressure, you should keep track of your readings. If your readings are consistently high, it is recommended that you have a home blood pressure monitor that takes multiple measurements in order for your blood pressure to be consistently high. Your blood pressure may temporarily rise as a result of your anxiety attack. It is important to remember that anxiety does not cause elevated blood pressure in the long run. Blood pressure can rise abruptly in response to anxiety attacks.
