Blood Pressure Monitors

[Mr Pointy]

I've ended up with two new monitors & they disagree on the readings I'm getting. One is a new Omron (bought from the BHF & certified for diabetes & pregnancy) & the other is from Aile, also supposedly certified from Amazon. The problem is I'm more suspicious of the Omron readings as they seem low. These are taken over the last few days, each is an average of three readings all taken a couple of minutes apart, just sat at my desk:

O: 122/78
A: 128/75

O: 126/79
A: 134/78

O: 119/80
A: 125/74

O: 116/72
A: 128/75

O: 117/72
A: 132/69

I'm not sure which to believe now as the difference seems large but in the past my BP has never been down in the 117 range so the supposedly better device seems less realistic. I don't want to end up buying a third & polling for the odd one out.

[Arrivalist]

I have an Omron because that’s what the GP uses so should be v accurate unless old and needs recalibration.

My old GP surgery had a big BP machine in their waiting area that I use to use to make sure the readings were similar - do you have access to anything like that?

[Huzzah]

They don't look that far out to, within the realms of margin of error.

[Mr Pointy]

Huzzah said:

They don't look that far out to, within the realms of margin of error.

117/72 to 132/69 taken a few minutes apart seems a significant difference.

[Defcon5]

Even using the same machine minutes apart I get similar discrepancies, they just seem to be random number generators

[popeyewhite]

Mr Pointy said:

Huzzah said:

They don't look that far out to, within the realms of margin of error.

117/72 to 132/69 taken a few minutes apart seems a significant difference.

Not really if you're sitting still and breathing calmly in between and the higher reading is the first.

[Mr Pointy]

popeyewhite said:

Mr Pointy said:

Huzzah said:

They don't look that far out to, within the realms of margin of error.

117/72 to 132/69 taken a few minutes apart seems a significant difference.

Not really if you're sitting still and breathing calmly in between and the higher reading is the first.

Unfortunately it's the second & the Omron consistently reads lower & while I realise there are going to be variations 117 to 132 seems excessive. I'm not sure which one to send back & I can hardly cart both of them down to the surgery.

[Piersman2]

The thing is to not get wound up about it whilst taking all you measurements, no wonder they get higher the more you take!

I have one of the Omron ones as I have white coat syndrome and if ever a DR or nurse takes my readings I'm clinically incapable of life, apparently.

But at home with the Omron and relaxed I can get it down to something more realistic although always a little higher than the standard numbers indicate it should be.

I'd trust the Omron more to be relatively accurate and not get too hung up on either giving slightly variable numbers, margin of error and all that.

Edited by Piersman2 on Sunday 2nd February 12:48

[popeyewhite]

Mr Pointy said:

popeyewhite said:

Mr Pointy said:

Huzzah said:

They don't look that far out to, within the realms of margin of error.

117/72 to 132/69 taken a few minutes apart seems a significant difference.

Not really if you're sitting still and breathing calmly in between and the higher reading is the first.

Unfortunately it's the second & the Omron consistently reads lower & while I realise there are going to be variations 117 to 132 seems excessive. I'm not sure which one to send back & I can hardly cart both of them down to the surgery.

Same arm? Same body position? Do they record similar heart rates? Do your nerves increase/decrease inbetween? Your diastolic reading is similar for both...

[Mr Pointy]

popeyewhite said:

Mr Pointy said:

popeyewhite said:

Mr Pointy said:

Huzzah said:

They don't look that far out to, within the realms of margin of error.

117/72 to 132/69 taken a few minutes apart seems a significant difference.

Not really if you're sitting still and breathing calmly in between and the higher reading is the first.

Unfortunately it's the second & the Omron consistently reads lower & while I realise there are going to be variations 117 to 132 seems excessive. I'm not sure which one to send back & I can hardly cart both of them down to the surgery.

Same arm? Same body position? Do they record similar heart rates? Do your nerves increase/decrease inbetween? Your diastolic reading is similar for both...

Yep, left arm resting on my desk & the heart rates are very similar eg 78/77/81 vs 80/77/78 for the two sets of three runs. I don't even get out my chair to swap over, I just slide the cuff off & on. As you say the variance in the diastolic reading is much less so it's difference in how they detect the higher pressure.

[ThingsBehindTheSun]

Mr Pointy said:

117/72 to 132/69 taken a few minutes apart seems a significant difference.

We have an Omron, I often get results like this. First reading will be in the 13X range, second reading a minute later will be 12X range. It's why when I take my blood pressure I take three reading a minute or two apart.

[Arrivalist]

ThingsBehindTheSun said:

Mr Pointy said:

117/72 to 132/69 taken a few minutes apart seems a significant difference.

We have an Omron, I often get results like this. First reading will be in the 13X range, second reading a minute later will be 12X range. It's why when I take my blood pressure I take three reading a minute or two apart.

The accepted approach, may even be in the manual, is to always to take three readings with a gap between.

[leef44]

When I was told by nurse that I need to start monitoring my blood pressure at home she said just get any of the Omron ones and you'll be fine i.e. other ones might not be as reliable.

[98elise]

Mr Pointy said:

Huzzah said:

They don't look that far out to, within the realms of margin of error.

117/72 to 132/69 taken a few minutes apart seems a significant difference.

I'd disagree. Whenever I do mine I do it multiple times. The first one normally high, then it drops. Even when sitting properly and relaxed it varies quite a bit across each reading.

[98elise]

Arrivalist said:

ThingsBehindTheSun said:

Mr Pointy said:

117/72 to 132/69 taken a few minutes apart seems a significant difference.

We have an Omron, I often get results like this. First reading will be in the 13X range, second reading a minute later will be 12X range. It's why when I take my blood pressure I take three reading a minute or two apart.

The accepted approach, may even be in the manual, is to always to take three readings with a gap between.

I'm currently having to do mine twice a day for my GP, and that's what they say to do.

[popeyewhite]

98elise said:

Arrivalist said:

ThingsBehindTheSun said:

Mr Pointy said:

117/72 to 132/69 taken a few minutes apart seems a significant difference.

We have an Omron, I often get results like this. First reading will be in the 13X range, second reading a minute later will be 12X range. It's why when I take my blood pressure I take three reading a minute or two apart.

The accepted approach, may even be in the manual, is to always to take three readings with a gap between.

I'm currently having to do mine twice a day for my GP, and that's what they say to do.

OP has previously stated that is what he does.

[Badda]

Your blood pressure is constantly changing, minute by minute.

These sorts of BP monitors are not 100% accurate. A manual sphyg would no doubt disagree with both but I think they’re in a reasonable margin of error so try not to worry.

[Colonel Cupcake]

I'm having doubts about my Omron too. First reading can be 155/90. Turn off and on again and the next reading is 130/78. Less than a minute apart and no moving.

[motco]

I've had marginally high BP for decades but only when measured by a medical person. More than twenty years ago I bought an Omron for c.£100
It has always shown variable numbers and the more frequently an regularly I used it the less the actual stress of using it became. Nevertheless I bought a new one, also Omron but more automated. Comparing them suggests that the old one is still accurate or as accurate as these things are. It's not a precise science but one where trends and broad figures seem to influence the GP.

[Mr Pointy]

Colonel Cupcake said:

I'm having doubts about my Omron too. First reading can be 155/90. Turn off and on again and the next reading is 130/78. Less than a minute apart and no moving.

My original Omron was 11 years old & was displaying exactly the behaviour you are seeing so I contacted Omron about calibration or servicing & they said it was EOL, hence my going down this rabbit hole with a new one. It's consistent so more beliveable but doesn't match another device.

I'm wondering if the cuff makes a difference. The Omron has a pre-formed Comfort Cuff while the other machine has the normal type.