WHICH BP MONITOR IS RIGHT FOR ME

Everyone is different. Some people are low tech and some are high tech. Some people have tiny arms and some have large arms. Some people may prefer portability with their BP monitor, ease of setup and use, or connectivity with blue tooth and apps, to name a few. The things that are most important when searching for a home BP cuff are discussed below.

AHA RECOMMENDATIONS

The AHA recommends an upper arm cuff because it is more accurate than wrist cuffs. Wrist cuffs are extremely sensitive to the position of your arm while you are checking it. If you have a wrist cuff, read your manual and know the proper arm position when checking it. If you don’t have a wrist cuff, don’t get one. The device you use should be “clinically validated”. This means the device has undergone vigorous testing procedures by major health organizations.

SIZE MATTERS

The cuff must fit your upper arm. If you have a very large or small upper arm then make sure you get a device that will fit your upper arm. A cuff that is too small or too large will give inaccurate readings.

How to measure the circumference of your upper arm for an appropriate sized cuff:

Using a cloth tape measure, find the midpoint between elbow and shoulder and measure. Measure the circumference with your arm relaxed. The tape measure should be snug but not tight and pressing in to the skin.

  • 7-9 inches requires a small BP cuff (approx. 18 cm-23 cm)
  • 9-13 inches requires a standard cuff (approx. 23 cm-33 cm)
  • 13-17 inches requires a large cuff (approx. 33 cm-43 cm)
  • 17 inches requires a thigh cuff (approx. 43 cm and greater)

*Please note that these are general guidelines. You should look at the cuff size on the device you choose to see if that cuff will fit your arm. One size does not fit all.

DEVICE OPTIONS

There are numerous options to be considered with your device. Some of these are listed below:

  • Devices which allow 1-4 users
  • Number of readings which can be stored
  • Automatic cycle to check BP 3 times and then average the readings
  • Bluetooth connectivity so your readings will be stored in the cloud with a free app from the company.
  • Extended cuff size or option to purchase additional cuff in smaller or larger size
  • Irregular Heart beat light
  • Coloring system to show BP’s that are too high

SOME TOP RATED MODELS FOR HBPM (Home BP Monitoring)

  • Omron 10 Series BP786N
  • Omron 705IT (HEM-759-E)
  • A & D Medical UA767F
  • Omron M7 Intelli IT
  • QardioArm A100
  • Ozeri CardioTech BP3T Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor
  • Balance Blue Tooth BPM by Greater Goods
  • Panasonic EW3109W
  • LotFancy BP monitor
  • Rite Aid Deluxe Automatic BP3AR1-4DRITE
  • ReliOn (Wal-mart) BP200 HEM741CRELN4

*This is not an all-inclusive list of top models

An excellent website to make sure your BP is validated (tested for accuracy)

http://www.dableducational.org/index.html

WATCH A DEMONSTRATION OF HOW THE DEVICE WORKS

YouTube is a great place to see the device in action.

The most common complaint about HBPM devices is that the device is not accurate.

Take your device in to your doctor’s office once a year to compare your device results with that of your doctor’s. Maybe the problem is not the device at all. Maybe it is your method of checking your BP.

NOW THAT YOU HAVE PURCHASED YOUR MONITOR, CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RIGHT WAY TO CHECK YOUR BP.