Digital Blood Pressure Monitor

dgregory

Getting accurate blood pressure readings is enormously important. One in three adults has high blood pressure and it is the major contributor to heart disease and stroke. If the British Hypertension Society goes to the trouble of testing and validating models we should ask the question "why are so many cheap models not approved by them?" There are models for less than £40 such as the Microlife Easy 123

for information about blood pressure monitors visit the Blood Pressure Monitoring web site which has a full, simple to follow guide "how to measure blood pressure at home"

Ted_Hutchinson

dgregory wrote:

Getting accurate blood pressure readings is enormously important. One in three adults has high blood pressure and it is the major contributor to heart disease and stroke. If the British Hypertension Society goes to the trouble of testing and validating models we should ask the question "why are so many cheap models not approved by them?" There are models for less than £40 such as the Microlife Easy 123

for information about blood pressure monitors visit the Blood Pressure Monitoring web site which has a full, simple to follow guide "how to measure blood pressure at home"

That looks a bit like a referral link above to me and one should only post those on the Referral's board.I also think there is a bit of scaremongering going on here Just look what the BHS actually says
"There is no independent testing body for validating the accuracy of blood pressure devices, and the British Hypertension Society has not tested the blood pressure machines themselves. In providing this list, we are recording what has been reported in the literature. The British Hypertension Society can therefore take no responsibility, whatsoever, for the accuracy of this information or the accuracy of the validation procedure."

so if there isn't a report in the literature that device isn't listed. It should NOT be assumed that devices not in the list are not accurate particularly given my points made previously. You can check your reading on the Cheapo Lloyds monitor by getting a reading done at Lloyds, providing you know the readings you are getting are in line with those your GP/health professional takes and are consistent with one another what more do you want?

dgregory

I've removed the referral link on Microlife 123.

I cannot fault that argument - if a cheap model returns the same readings as a professional surgery machine (assuming the readings are taken one after the other) then all would appear to be ok.

I really want to emphasise the importance of regularly checking your blood pressure and share the information I've found on the Internet.

digger3_2

Not only LLoyds.lots of other pharmacies will check you blood pressure for you for free.Just ask them- lack of TV advertising doesn't mean a lack of services offered

sharronloves2spend

i work for lloyds pharmacy and can confirm that the blood pressure monitors are an excellant deal, they are highly accurate, also mentioned the free diabetes and blood pressure monitoring are free, youd be suprised how many people have been referred to their doctors due to high sugar levels and have come back in to thank us and to tell us they feel loads better, we also offer a free prescription medication review where the pharmacists talk you through your medication and its uses(you have to be that branchs patient though)ok ill shut up now im not being paid for this ...honest, : :or maybe i should be! the juicers are rubbish though!!!!!:rotfl:

digger3_2

Lots of advertising for Lloyds on this thread!!! FREE Prescription medication review is an NHS service and is offered at most pharmacies. FREE blood pressure tests and diabetes tests are also offered at lots of pharmacies.FREE advice is offered at all pharmacies.Just ask! All those FREEs must appeal to MSEs

Bourne

I will have to check this out for sure, but I can only recommend you to be highly wary of those Lidl monitors. My father phoned me one night in a panic because measured on one of those machines, his blood pressure had shot to a ridiculous level. When checked against my (admittedly a few years old) Boots model, it was actually rather low.
I recently bought a Lidl monitor, thinking my dad's was perhaps a one-off, only to find that it was giving readings much higher than my old one. This morning, my Boots monitor was reading a satisfactory 128/82, yet my Lidl one was recording 130/98. As I said, I will have to test this somehow, but if the Lidl one is correct I am in serious trouble, as it has been reading even higher. I am fairly certain that my old one is the more accurate, but I might buy a Lloys one for a comparison test.

Katykat

A word of caution for all self Blood pressure recorders. I am a Practice Nurse. I use a digital Bp machine for regular opportunistic checks. I NEVER USE ONE FOR ANYONE WHO IS TAKING MEDICATION. tHEY ARE SIMPLY NOT ACCURATE ENOUGH if I happen to record a high reading with a digital machine, I check it with my trusty old analogue, and 9 times out 0f 10, the reading is normal. This is on machines that are calibrated regularly, which I'd like to bet doesn't happen with shop bought ones. I cant tell you how many times people have phoned me in a panic because they have used Uncle Bobs digital machine and they have a high reading. Only to get themselves worked up, which doesn't help. Please everybody, health checks are free at your doctors surgery. Whilst I dont want a surgery full of "worried well " people, it is preferable to get your BP checked by a professional. You have your car brakes checked by profesionals dont you? I had this conversation before on this site.

Ted_Hutchinson

I think the words of BPASSOC "Measuring your blood pressure at home can be very useful and can help you to feel more in control of your condition. It can also help you to understand more about your blood pressure, what affects it and how it changes. It is not appropriate for everyone, however, and you should think carefully before buying a monitor. Is measuring at home likely to reassure or worry you? If you would like to monitor your blood pressureat home, you are likely to need the support of your doctor or nurse. Many will be supportive of their patients taking more control of their health, but some may be resistant. If this is the case, talk to your health professional about their reasons for concern, and try gentle persuasion and persistence! At the end of the day it is your decision.
" are balanced and reasonable.

I can only say that buying the Lloyds special offer model alerted me to the fact that I had a problem. I had no symptoms and would not have gone to the doctor or even bothered to ask my chemist for a check. It was simply the fact it was a bargain and I wanted to check it out before advising other people to get one.
I really don't see it as advertising for Lloyds. The monitor scans at nearly £50 and I really don't think Lloyds can be making anything at all on these and are doing is simply as a loss leader.
Do remember that blood pressure is related to vitamin D status so getting into the sun regularly for short sessions will help drop your readings at the same time as reducing your risk of the most deadly cancers.

PS I should perhaps have reminded readers that I did check the reading I had been getting at home on the Lloyds Special Offer machine by requesting at test from my health professionals and it was because the reading by the nurse was absolutely consistent with my own readings that I knew it wasn't the monitor or the way I was using it but I was actually on the high side. Her readings were within the range I had recorded at home.

noonesperfect

My OH has just been put on ACE inhibitors as he has high blood pressure.

His practice nurse was monitoring him on a stop smoking programme and noticed it was consistently high and referred him to his GP who recommended he stop taking the drug he'd been given to stop smoking.
When he went back t see his GP last week because of bad headaches his BP was dangerously high. We were able to monitor his BP between the 1st and second appointments and his GP found it useful.

Where my blood pressure is the low side of normal at home it increases to borderline hypertension at the surgery, his readings are consistent with what his GP does.

On his practice nurses advice we bought a machine that was validated by the British Hypertension Society and very good it is too!