# Blood Pressure Monitors



## Phaeton (8 Jun 2022)

Wife has been advised that she needs to take her blood pressure 3 times a day & keep a record, she used to have a Lloyds Pharmacy one but she believes it was telling her stories & won't use it now. So we need to replace it, has anybody got recommendations, tried to Google but they all seem to be pushing the that pays them the most & links to their websites.


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## midlife (8 Jun 2022)

At work we have a few small Omron monitors kicking about as well as the very big expensive ones on wheels...


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## Ming the Merciless (8 Jun 2022)

Take a look on this list

https://bihsoc.org/bp-monitors/for-home-use/


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## wiggydiggy (8 Jun 2022)

I got this for someone, it seemed easy enough to use:

[2022] AILE Blood Pressure Monitors for Home Use, Blood Pressure Machines for Home Use, Blood Press Monitor Upper Arm Large Cuff 8.7”-16.5” ( Blood-Pressure Monitor Large Cuff ), 2*99 Reading 
View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0919T22NQ/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_ATHN2FWNMTAF8J8P9ADW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1


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## PaulSB (8 Jun 2022)

We use this one which is the same as many GPs and hospitals

https://giftshop.bhf.org.uk/omron-m...BaR6sudBpRsYNr3VNNhoC7cEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


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## kynikos (8 Jun 2022)

I have an Omron, bought on the basis that I often see them in medical settings and good reviews. It's been faultless. 
Recommendation is that you record an average of two readings so that would be six tests a day.
My regret is that I didn't spend a bit more and get one with WiFi/ bluetooth which will load the readings up to the cloud - it would save a lot of time recording the results in a spreadsheet for monitoring. 

If I were replacing it (it stubbornly refuses to break/stop working) I'd go for a Withings as I have some more equipment from them and all data recorded is collated and available via an app. You can see trends, set targets and get reports and advice. But it's not the cheapest option by a long chalk.

All depends on how long she'll need to keep recording (= more reason to spend a bit more) and budget.


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## glasgowcyclist (8 Jun 2022)

I’ve got the Omron M7 Intelli, which I’ve had for about four years or so. Cost me about £60 from ama.zon. It’s simple to use, batteries last for ages and as well as bluetoothing all my readings to my phone, it saves them to the Omron Cloud too, which was handy when my phone died in May and I had to replace it.

I bought that one because it was the same one my GP uses in her surgery.

At the beginning I tested every day and then, when it came back to normal levels, I resorted to testing once a week. 

I saw in either Lidl or Aldi a few weeks ago they had my Omron look-alike for £24.99. Could be worth a punt.


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## alicat (8 Jun 2022)

My GP surgery has one in reception. If you want to persuade your wife to keep the one she has, maybe she could take hers to the surgery and compare a reading taken from hers with one from the machine reception. 

Or your surgery might lend you a machine although there could be a wait...


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## PK99 (8 Jun 2022)

I've got a Braun 7200, excellent piece of kit.

Collates and reports data in multiple ways. Daily averages. 7, 14, 31 am, pm, 24hrs.
Easy linking to phone, pc, tablet

Numbers correlate well with GP measurements.


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## Time Waster (9 Jun 2022)

I heard of a guy who takes his BPM with him for a gp visit and checks it n against the gp or hospital BPM.

I was going to post that link Ming posted. I would only get one from that list. Omron is usually recommended but aiui boots own brand is made by Omron and is a rebadged one sold a lot cheaper. I also heard that not all Omron models are that good, really check against that link above. 

One last point is that the safest use is to only use to monitor trends not finite measurements. If it's reading a little low the risk is yours if looking at finite measurements. Of a little high it's like less risk due to margin of safety in your favour. But then if you're only looking at a rise over time then whether reading falsely a little low or a little high it's the trend that's significant not the finite measurement.


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## presta (9 Jun 2022)

Mine's an Omron M2 Basic HEM-7120, I chose it because Which rated it as one of the most accurate, _and _one of the cheapest.


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## slowmotion (9 Jun 2022)

I've had an Omron for about ten years. It cost about £50 back then and I think it's an M something (it's not to hand right now). The cardiologists seem quite happy for me to self-report my readings rather than waste a nurse's time doing something identical. I suppose that's a glowing endorsement of Omron.


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## Time Waster (9 Jun 2022)

I have that one only boots own branded and cost me less. I researched it and found out omron made that as a boots branded one.


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## ianrauk (9 Jun 2022)

presta said:


> Mine's an Omron M2 Basic HEM-7120, I chose it because Which rated it as one of the most accurate, _and _one of the cheapest.
> View attachment 648193



Thats the one we have.
My partner is suffering from long covid so at the moment is taking readings twice a day. The readings are accurate compared to the readings taken at the docs. So recommended.


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## Phaeton (9 Jun 2022)

Thank you all, I think we'll order the M2 later today, it will do what we need it to do, ideally it would be a wearable one so monitors 24/7 but I know she wouldn't wear one of those, if only for 7 days a month.


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## ianrauk (9 Jun 2022)

Phaeton said:


> Thank you all, I think we'll order the M2 later today, it will do what we need it to do, ideally it would be a wearable one so monitors 24/7 but I know she wouldn't wear one of those, if only for 7 days a month.



Its not wearable 24/7. Its a chunky piece of kit. I cant imagine your missus will like carrying it on her person for all that time and certainly not in bed at night. 

I'm not sure you need one for 24/7 anyhoo.
2 or 3 times day would be suffice and give you a good idea of BP


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## PK99 (9 Jun 2022)

ianrauk said:


> Its not wearable 24/7. Its a chunky piece of kit. I cant imagine your missus will like carrying it on her person for all that time and certainly not in bed at night.
> 
> I'm not sure you need one for 24/7 anyhoo.
> 2 or 3 times day would be suffice and give you a good idea of BP



For specialist checks a period if 24/7 monitoring is sometimes done, but the specialist kit is very different from the normal.


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## vickster (9 Jun 2022)

PK99 said:


> For specialist checks a period if 24/7 monitoring is sometimes done, but the specialist kit is very different from the normal.



Indeed, that would come from the GP surgery if the Dr feels is necessary


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## Milkfloat (9 Jun 2022)

My unit always ready significantly lower than the Doctor's. I thought I had a duff one, however after I borrowed one from the Doctor to calibrate mine it turns out that riding to the surgery tends to get the pressure up a bit. Mine matched almost exactly with the one from the Doctor when done at home at rest.


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## Phaeton (9 Jun 2022)

ianrauk said:


> Its not wearable 24/7. Its a chunky piece of kit. I cant imagine your missus will like carrying it on her person for all that time and certainly not in bed at night.
> 
> I'm not sure you need one for 24/7 anyhoo.
> 2 or 3 times day would be suffice and give you a good idea of BP


Not sure you read my post correctly , I know it' not a 24/7 one, I also know the size, my comment was referring to the fact a 24/7 would be good for her


Milkfloat said:


> My unit always ready significantly lower than the Doctor's. I thought I had a duff one, however after I borrowed one from the Doctor to calibrate mine it turns out that riding to the surgery tends to get the pressure up a bit. Mine matched almost exactly with the one from the Doctor when done at home at rest.


Exactly the same with my wife, 'White coat syndrome' she winds herself up about getting the test which elevates the BP, hence why I believe in her case a 24/7 monitor over a 7 day period would be good.


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## PK99 (9 Jun 2022)

Milkfloat said:


> *My unit always ready significantly lower than the Doctor's.* I thought I had a duff one, however after I borrowed one from the Doctor to calibrate mine it turns out that riding to the surgery tends to get the pressure up a bit. Mine matched almost exactly with the one from the Doctor when done at home at rest.



There is also what is known as the *"white coat effect"* - BP measured by a doctor is often higher than self-measured at home, because of the *"stress factor".*

I read an NHS site (sorry can's recall which) just the other day that gave "Action readings" for investigation/medication. In-surgery levels being higher than at-home.


https://www.bloodpressureuk.org/you...e is when,coats traditionally worn by doctors.


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## mustang1 (9 Jun 2022)

Ive been using an Omron, cost £30 a few years ago. It takes 2 AA batteries. I use itnonce every few weeks and its been fine. 

My doctor recommended not soending more than £30 (back then).


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## Gwylan (9 Jun 2022)

If all that is important is the trend then the actual reading is not so relevant 

Look at "Blood Pressure Watch" on eBay. 
Worked for me


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## LarryDuff (9 Jun 2022)

The one from Boots is grand.


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## BoldonLad (9 Jun 2022)

We have an Omron MIT and an Omron M2 Basic. The Omron MIT we have had for about 15 years, no problems, other than, wife mislaid it, hence, the M2 Basic, (now about 8 years old). Having bought the M2, the MIT "appeared".

I am reassured that the quality is reasonable, because our GP has, what appears to, the same machine (M2).

The M2 Basic is currently about £25 (Amazon, other sellers are available I am sure)


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## Time Waster (9 Jun 2022)

In the instructions with our boots one it has two sets of target readings to indicate BP zones. One for home measurements the other GPs or hospital readings which are higher.


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## rogerzilla (11 Jun 2022)

It can be fun to take your BP after a decent ride. I think I've seen 110/50.


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## BoldonLad (11 Jun 2022)

rogerzilla said:


> It can be fun to take your BP after a decent ride. I think I've seen 110/50.



That is interesting. I have noticed that my BP is lower after a ride. I would have expected that exertion and increased heart rate would have raised BP. Clearly, my medical knowledge is zero.


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## rogerzilla (11 Jun 2022)

BoldonLad said:


> That is interesting. I have noticed that my BP is lower after a ride. I would have expected that exertion and increased heart rate would have raised BP. Clearly, my medical knowledge is zero.


AIUI, your blood vessels are relaxed (greater cross-section) after a ride.


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