| Quite often I have received letters with statements | | | | last reading if you want to compare them. At the |
| like "My doctor says that all digital machines are | | | | doctor's office, you might also suffer from what is |
| inaccurate and that only a doctor or an experienced | | | | called "white coat hypertension", where you are |
| nurse can take blood pressure accurately". It is | | | | nervous and this causes the blood pressure to rise |
| difficult to give an answer to such a statement | | | | temporarily. It is now a given fact that measurement |
| without offending someone. There are still some | | | | of blood pressure at home, also called HBPM (Home |
| people who believe that the earth is flat and that the | | | | Blood Pressure Measurement) IS MORE |
| moon is made out of blue cheese. The fact is that | | | | REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PATIENTS REAL BLOOD |
| the first digital blood pressure monitors (from 30 | | | | PRESSURE than the casual one taken at the doctor's |
| years ago) were very difficult to use accurately and | | | | office. This is provided of course that the patient |
| because it was a new technology, it was not well | | | | uses the device correctly. |
| accepted by the medical sector. However, in the last | | | | Many doctors and nurses prefer the stethoscope |
| 30 years, tremendous progress has been made and | | | | method because they can listen to the signals and |
| most monitors that are sold today (from reputable | | | | get a deeper impression of the patient's condition. A |
| brands) are as accurate as a traditional mercury or | | | | digital monitor only measures blood pressure and |
| aneroid device. | | | | pulse, whereas an experienced doctor using a |
| There are in fact international validation standards | | | | stethoscope can listen to many other sounds to get |
| that compare digital monitors to "gold standard" | | | | a better overall view of the patient's health. |
| mercury devices and then grade the devices | | | | The technique of mercury or aneroid devices (also |
| according to the results. So when you need to buy a | | | | called auscultatory) requires careful training and |
| device for home use, you should look for a validation | | | | application of specific methods. A slow deflation rate |
| standard that has been applied to the device that | | | | of 2 to 3 mmHg per second is essential to obtain |
| you are planning on buying, such as the BHS (British | | | | accurate results with the doctor's measurement. |
| Hypertension Society), the GüteZiegel (German | | | | However, more often than not, doctors or nurses |
| validation standard), or the AAMI (American | | | | use a much higher deflation rate and obtain wrong |
| Association of Medical Instruments). If you find such | | | | results. This is because quite often, the doctor does |
| a logo on the packaging or the advertising, it is | | | | not have the necessary time to really measure blood |
| probably a very accurate device. | | | | pressure. In fact, for a blood pressure measurement |
| Today, most digital monitors measure pressure by | | | | to be representative at the doctor's office, he should |
| applying the so called 'oscillometric method'. In an | | | | measure the blood pressure at least three times in a |
| oscillometric measurement, the blood pressure is | | | | row. It is important to realize that your blood |
| accurately detected by analyzing the pressure | | | | pressure is fluctuating constantly and that the results |
| oscillations that happen during the deflation or inflation | | | | are never exactly the same. When you use an |
| of the cuff. This method has been well accepted | | | | electronic blood pressure monitor at home, you tend |
| worldwide for more than thirty years and incidentally, | | | | to do several measurements because it is so easy to |
| it is applied in hospitals every day, whenever the | | | | do and you have more time than at the doctor's |
| patient's pressure needs intensive and highly accurate | | | | office. It is quite normal for the measurement results |
| control. Many doctors do not realize that home use | | | | not to be identical to each other. If your doctor |
| digital monitors use exactly the same technology as | | | | were to measure the pressure three or four times |
| the 20 000 dollar machines that they use in intensive | | | | (which he never does!) he would also get different |
| care. If they did, they would probably change their | | | | values. |
| opinion of home devices. | | | | The most convincing fact is that the world's leading |
| One of the main factors for different readings at the | | | | experts on blood pressure monitoring prefer frequent |
| doctor's office and at home using a home monitor is | | | | home measurements by electronic devices against |
| that the conditions for measuring blood pressure at | | | | the casual measurements taken in their office! So if |
| the doctor's office are not ideal. To accurately | | | | your doctor continues telling you that all digital |
| measure your blood pressure, you should consciously | | | | devices are crap, it might be time for you to change |
| relax for at least 5 minutes before taking it. You | | | | your doctor. |
| should also take it at the same time of day as your | | | | |