Blood pressure

[PaulSB]

If you do get your own monitor for home testing, just make sure it's one that has been clinically validated. (I use an Omron M7 Intelli IT, which my GP appreciates as it's the same as his and my readings are all saved to my phone in a spreadsheet he can readily review.)

We have the same monitor. My observations suggest Omron are a high quality and major supplier to the NHS. Their customer service department to me, as a member of the public, were extremely helpful when I contacted them regarding wearable BP technology. Unfortunately their offering is currently only available in the States.

 

[tom73]

I can get error readings on the normal machines you can buy. At a hospital last year I needed to have my blood pressure taken and even those machines they have at the bedsides in wards didn't give me a reading so the nurse went and got the stethoscope to get a reading. My lower reading can be below 55. Just taken my reading now before posting this 120/67. Not bad for a 70 year old with a history of 2 heart attacks. No meds only 75 mg aspirin daily
Edit
In memory just seen a reading 123/57

Yes it don't take much to get them to come up with error even tiny movements of your arm throw them.
Some a high reading is quite normal for them, equally a low reading is normal hence it pays to know the full story.

 

[Bill Gates]

Yes it don't take much to get them to come up with error even tiny movements of your arm throw them.
Some a high reading is quite normal for them, equally a low reading is normal hence it pays to know the full story.

I think you've misunderstod.My lower figure is sometimes too low to get a reading on a machine and shows EE.

 

[tom73]

I think you've misunderstod.My lower figure is sometimes too low to get a reading on a machine and shows EE.

I know tha'ts what you meant and agreed with you pointing out that other things too can throw them.

 

[vickster]

I can get error readings on the normal machines you can buy. At a hospital last year I needed to have my blood pressure taken and even those machines they have at the bedsides in wards didn't give me a reading so the nurse went and got the stethoscope to get a reading. My lower reading can be below 55. Just taken my reading now before posting this 120/67. Not bad for a 70 year old with a history of 2 heart attacks. No meds only 75 mg aspirin daily
Edit
In memory just seen a reading 123/57

Low diastolic (the second number) is common in older age. The difference between the 2 numbers is also important

 

[vickster]

We have the same monitor. My observations suggest Omron are a high quality and major supplier to the NHS. Their customer service department to me, as a member of the public, were extremely helpful when I contacted them regarding wearable BP technology. Unfortunately their offering is currently only available in the States.

Wrist measurement is not as accurate as the upper arm apparently

 

[Smudge]

I was told my BP was excessively high at a check up for something else. So they gave me a machine to take home and test 3 times a day and log it for 5 days. It was so high every time i thought there was something wrong with the machine !
So they gave me meds for it and i had to self check on machine and log for another 5 days and go back, where it was better but still high. So they doubled the med dose and told me i'll be staying on them.
Another bloody drug to add to my daily intake.

 

[PaulSB]

Wrist measurement is not as accurate as the upper arm apparently

Yes, that's my understanding and why I didn't buy one of the many cheap wrist products there are available. However I did stumble across the Omron HeartGuide during my searches. These are ferociously expensive at $499 and currently only available in the USA. If it was available in the UK and I could have seen one it's very likely I would have bought one. I feel Omron's reputation is strong enough to believe the claims.

I even emailed asking if I could take part in a UK clinical trial!! Really. Didn't get a reply to that one.

https://omronhealthcare.com/products/heartguide-wearable-blood-pressure-monitor-bp8000m/

In January I had a brain haemorrhage and I was desperate to get back on my bike. Having a very accurate measure of my BP while cycling would have been a great help. As it has turned out it wouldn't have been needed, I'm 100% recovered and riding better than ever. At the time I would have made the investment.

 

[classic33]

Yes, that's my understanding and why I didn't buy one of the many cheap wrist products there are available. However I did stumble across the Omron HeartGuide during my searches. These are ferociously expensive at $499 and currently only available in the USA. If it was available in the UK and I could have seen one it's very likely I would have bought one. I feel Omron's reputation is strong enough to believe the claims.

I even emailed asking if I could take part in a UK clinical trial!! Really. Didn't get a reply to that one.

https://omronhealthcare.com/products/heartguide-wearable-blood-pressure-monitor-bp8000m/

In January I had a brain haemorrhage and I was desperate to get back on my bike. Having a very accurate measure of my BP while cycling would have been a great help. As it has turned out it wouldn't have been needed, I'm 100% recovered and riding better than ever. At the time I would have made the investment.

Heart Guide showing on their UK site.

 

[PaulSB]

Heart Guide showing on their UK site.

That's interesting. I will have a look. It certainly wasn't available in May when I was researching this

 

[classic33]

This the same one you were looking at?
https://www.omron-healthcare.co.uk/blood-pressure-monitors/heartguide.html

 

[slowmotion]

I've had an Omron M7 for about 8 years. It's got an upper arm cuff and data storage. The clock is completely out of sync by the way, but that's due to my sloth

. I just took three readings, five minutes apart.....

137 / 71 Pulse 103 bpm
123 / 74 Pulse 61 bpm
117 / 73 Pulse 63 bpm

Lord knows what that signifies, but I seem to still be alive and reasonably cheerful.
Relax.

 

[PaulSB]

This the same one you were looking at?
https://www.omron-healthcare.co.uk/blood-pressure-monitors/heartguide.html

Yes, that's the one.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

It is interesting reading this as I moved away from the area where I was registered with a GP when I was 15, I am now 58 , so have not had an MOT call up.

I did consider registering with a GP to get one but then I considered it a bit and asked myself what is the point?

Given that the NHS has clear resource restrictions taking this test would divert resources that could be used elsewhere, but it would be an effective use of resources if it detected an issue which was fixed at a lower cost because of early detection.

Against this it is unlikely that I would listen to any advice offered that was more general, in practical terms I can't
Exercise more as I run, cycle and lift light weights,
Cut down on salt or alcohol because I already consume very little although I don't buy the current 14 units recommendation and the fact that the NHS makes such a recommendation diminishes its credibility to me.
Eat better as I already eat well.

Nor would I be willing to take tablets for the rest of my life just because a number was outside of that the system considers normal.

If I had something serious like cancer I would go the NHS, for "this is how you are" facts such as heart rate or blood pressure I have serious concerns that once you start a medicine to change this you may also start many other changes within the body that require other tablets yet does not fix the issue that you took the first tablet for.

If you asked a doctor do you recommend that I go to my local heroine dealer to get pain relief you would almost certainly get a different answer to should I take Oxycontin? Yet the "opioid crisis" was created by medical staff, was this because procedure took over and common sense got lost?

At the other end of the extreme we have a body builder told that she was fat as she had a high BMI, although we don't know how accurate this report is. :-) https://metro.co.uk/2014/03/26/a-pi...e-must-lose-weight-and-exercise-more-4679903/

This also hits the credibility of routine tests, although I appreciate that it may be an extreme case it is staggering that anyone would not know that a body builder would weigh a lot.

So overall I came to the conclusion that the test would be a waste of NHS resources.

Bye

Ian

 

[PaulSB]

@IanSmithCSE I can't help but feel you have misinterpreted what the well man review includes or it's purpose. I would argue at least 50% of your reasons for not having one demonstrate this.