Measuring Blood Pressure

[Trev]

Hi, just thought I'd pass this info on for anyone that didn't hear it as I found it quite interesting and reassuring. BP has been one of my concerns.

On radio 2 today they did an experiment to measure blood pressure comparing one of these units you can buy for about £25 against a doctors surgery type blood pressure monitor.

The presenter first used the £25 unit which gave a reading of 156/75. The doctor then took it using her GP style monitor and it came in at 110/70.

Quite a difference!

Thought it might interest some of you to know anyway.

All the best,
Trev :D

[nomorepanic]

Trev

Interesting this cos my GP hates the electronic ones and still uses the old style one.

However I do readings on my electronic one and take them in to him. We compared mine with his (at the surgery) and mine gave higher readings so he was happy with that.

Trev - do you know if it was a wrist one or an arm one?

Nicola

[Trev]

Hi Nic,

They didn't say if it was wrist or arm but he did say he was rolling up his sleeve so I would assume arm. But that is an assumption.

They did say the name of it but I know nothing of them. I was in the car otherwise I'd have written it down. It was something like "iomega" or "iona". Don't know but it was a short name beginning with "i" I think.

Sorry can't be of more help.

Cheers,
Trev

[Quirky]

That's interesting Trev.
I have a wrist one as the pharmacist told me they are more accurate.
My gp uses an electronic one, but other gp's in my practice hate them. My cardiologist even prefers the old fashioned ones over the electronic ones. I always have a higher reading on any electronic one than on the older ones. They are trying to do away with the old style ones though and make them all electronic.

LJ

[Trev]

Hi LJ,

Yeah, I'd be interested to know which is more accurate. When I had acupuncture the lady took my blood pressure with an electronic one on the arm. It seemed to me a little high (125/80.....but having said that I've got no idea what it should be!!) but when the GP has taken it before using the old fashioned one she didn't say there was a problem.

Cheers,
Trev

[nomorepanic]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">I have a wrist one as the pharmacist told me they are more accurate.

<div align="right">Originally posted by LJ - 07 November 2005 : 17:25:20</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

Well that's typical - my doc told me it was the arm ones [}:)] I wish they would be consistent in what they tell us.

I think Meg did a post on this somewhere will dig it out later maybe.

Nicola

[nomorepanic]

Try this post ..

Blood Pressure Monitoring at Home (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4218)

Nicola

[Quirky]

I know Nic, it doesn't help does it! I know Meg said arm ones are better, my gp said either are ok and the pharmacist said wrist ones! That's before the debate on which arm to use lol

Trev - 125/80 is a good bp, not high at all

LJ

[jue69]

Just thought I would join in on this one. BP is a major major fear of mine, having readings at the doccies of 165/110 you can imagne how worked up I am. I have a wrist monitor at home, which points you to heart level, which i believe is the reason why people think that the wrist monitors are less accurate, as their positioning is important. My blood pressure is always between 110/75 and 120/80. My brother in law has the exact same monitor and he suffers from high blood pressure, so is back and forward to the doctors all the time having his read and his reading at the doctors is always slightly higher than his home monitor. I would say that used correctly from my experience wrist monitors are fine.

Jue.

[vernon]

You are right june, I have a arm monitor, two in fact and you have to psition them correct on the arm even the tube has to be in the correct position like on the left arm the tube has to be level with second finger and on right arm tube level with little finger. the reeding also varies the higher and lower u raise your arm to, so best look at the diagram and to do it to the book. My blood pressure has always been same reading as hospital or doctors as i make a point of taking before appointment and then after.

What Trev said about the bbc test, (The presenter first used the £25 unit which gave a reading of 156/75. The doctor then took it using her GP style monitor and it came in at 110/70)
You can use the same monitor old or new type and get these different readings. Blood pressure can changes from minute to minute. take care all. Vernon

[Piglet]

I paid about £50 (online so bit cheaper) or so for mine as it is exactly the same make and model as the one they use at the surgery.

Last year (before I bought one) mine was high at the surgery so they lent me one of the spares they had, to try at home. When I got home it was the still as high as at the surgery but within an hour was coming right down.

Vern is right it is important to position it correctly and I had heard arm ones were slightly more accurate than wrist.

Trev from what they told me at the surgery a normal bp reading is 120/80 but again as Vern says this can vary from hour to hour day to day depending on allsorts of things.

I feel reassured having one at home and so far in the 6 months I've had it I've only tested myself a few times as each time has been normal.

Love Piglet:)

"Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?" said Piglet.
"Supposing it didn't," said Pooh after careful thought.

[Trev]

Cheers Piglet (and LJ),

I just checked out that other thread and as Meg says in it, I suppose it's trends that you are looking for rather than odd readings here and there.

I don't know anything about blood pressure really. What is the "bad" number? or are they both bad if high? And what is "high" then?

Sorry, I did search the site for "blood pressure" but none of the threads I found mentioned what good and bad levels were.

I don't want to start worrying about bp now but how are you going to know if it's high if you're not getting it measured regularly? (which I'm not)

Cheers,
Trev

[nomorepanic]

Trev

In easy terms and none of this systolic and dystolic (whatever it is lol) I was told to watch the lower number more.

So mine was about 140/90 - it was the 90 they worried about more. Anyway Meg says that changed and now they worry about both lol so what do I know.

I am on meds anyway so mine should be under control.

Mine was only measured every 6 months cos I was on the pill so that is routine. Alex has had his done twice in 7 years lol!

Nicola

[jill]

Hi all

Very intresting thread Trev[^]

I don't worry about my BP but it would be intresting to know what you all think.
I had my BP done at the chemist 1st reading 100/52
2nd reading 111/59.
Can it be a problem it it is too low?
What is to low?

Thanks all

LOVE JILLXXX

[vernon]

You can take blood pressue then take it right away again and get 2 different readings this used to worry me but docs said this is normal. My BP was always high but dropped loads since i stopped drinking.

[nomorepanic]

Here are the official NICE guidelines on it ...

http://www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=218436

Nicola

[Trev]

Thanks for that Nic.