Best BP monitor for home use?

[giddyup]

I have an Omron HEM 7130, which I've had for a few years, and am beginning to doubt it's accuracy, as I always get a higher reading at the doctors or dentists than at home. I know some increase is due to "white coat syndrome" but I still think it's time for an upgrade.

Any recommendations?

[worgeordie]

Get a new Omron ,they are a very good brand , just bought a new one myself...

 

regards Worgeordie

[Tropicalevo]

11 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I know some increase is due to "white coat syndrome"

Not only that, but usually the journey to the doc is also a 'pulse raiser'.

With my krappy old body, I am a regular at the local hospital. Initial blood pressure reading is always high. (I ride a motorbike to the hospital.)

I tell them to wait five minutes whilst I regulate my breathing. Second reading - always normal.

Last month doc said that I have a very strong heart and could live to 100. I said Nooo. Please!

[giddyup]

12 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Get a new Omron ,they are a very good brand , just bought a new one myself...

 

regards Worgeordie

What model?

[The Fugitive]

I have Omron M2 basic. Works fine and appears to be consistent with readings taken by dentist, blood donor assistants and hospitals (both in Thailand and U.K.).  

[worgeordie]

6 minutes ago, giddyup said:

What model?

HEM 7124 , , your Hem7130 cannot be that old , same as you, I always get higher numbers

at the hospital ,that's just the way it is,i would think the result you get at home is more like

the the true numbers , My old Omron was very old ,screen had gone all cloudy.

 

regards worgeordie

[lopburi3]

9 minutes ago, giddyup said:

What model?

I have two of the same model you have - both read about the same - and both about 50 or more lower at home rather than when in hospital.  Just take with you to hospital to check - White Coat can be extreme for some of us.  Covid isolation/fears has made it worse IMHO.

[giddyup]

7 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

I have two of the same model you have - both read about the same - and both about 50 or more lower at home rather than when in hospital.  Just take with you to hospital to check - White Coat can be extreme for some of us.  Covid isolation/fears has made it worse IMHO.

Had a visit to local dentist last week,did a BP reading prior to tooth extraction and it was 165/85, and it's always high at hospital visits. At home usually 130/70, pulse 65.

[giddyup]

14 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

HEM 7124 , , your Hem7130 cannot be that old , same as you, I always get higher numbers

at the hospital ,that's just the way it is,i would think the result you get at home is more like

the the true numbers , My old Omron was very old ,screen had gone all cloudy.

 

regards worgeordie

I reckon it's 4 or 5 years old.

[jayboy]

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

Had a visit to local dentist last week,did a BP reading prior to tooth extraction and it was 165/85, and it's always high at hospital visits. At home usually 130/70, pulse 65.

 

Dentists problematic on this issue.Staff often inexperienced in measuring, cuffs often wrong size, machines often not calibrated regularly.And the usual white coat syndrome.

 

I measure my own BP at home and show the app.That usually satisfies.

 

 

[Moonlover]

@giddyup Next time you visit the hospital take your BM monitor with you and check your reading against the hospital's. You will then know for sure whether there is any discrepancy.

 

It is quite normal for there to be a difference between 'at home' readings and those taken in a medical facility. One always likes to create the ideal relaxed conditions when you check yourself at home. I certainly do. That simply isn't possible, for a variety  of reasons to recreate those conditions in a hospital. @Tropicalevo's tale above is a classic example.

 

Since you asked, I use an Ormon HEM-7120-L. I'm assuming it's accurate, but I've never done a comparison because I never visit hospitals.

[The Fugitive]

31 minutes ago, jayboy said:

 

Dentists problematic on this issue.Staff often inexperienced in measuring, cuffs often wrong size, machines often not calibrated regularly.And the usual white coat syndrome.

 

I measure my own BP at home and show the app.That usually satisfies.

Good advice. Thanks!

[eisfeld]

As suggested take your monitor to the hospital or clinic next time and compare there. Just a bit of a walk outside can increase your pulse significantly and that in turn influences your BP. You can not compare readings in completely different situations.

[KhunLA]

3 hours ago, giddyup said:

What model?

I bought the Omron / entry level, I think, from LAZ 'flagship' store, and don't need any history stored.  Gives BP & pulse and all I need to know.

 

Also picked up "yuwell" 'finger' Oxygen monitor, from local pharmacy, since same price as online, 600 baht, again, entry level, and same one hospital uses.

 

[Encid]

I have a battery operated OMRON HEM-7121 which has been very reliable.

 

They are relatively inexpensive too - see Lazada prices

[giddyup]

3 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

I bought the Omron / entry level, from LAZ 'flagship' store, and don't need any history stored.  Gives BP & pulse and all I need to know.

 

Also picked up "yuwell" 'finger' Oxygen monitor, from local pharmacy, since same price as online, 600 baht, again, entry level, and same one hospital uses.

 

What is the purpose in monitoring blood oxygen and what can you do if levels are too low?

[giddyup]

2 minutes ago, Encid said:

I have a battery operated OMRON HEM-7121 which has been very reliable.

 

They are relatively inexpensive too - see Lazada prices

I already have the HEM 7130, not sure what the differences are as there are so many Omron models.

[Encid]

5 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I already have the HEM 7130, not sure what the differences are as there are so many Omron models.

 

This page will provide you with the differences in model numbers, although I do not see the 7130 listed... perhaps it has been discontinued?

 

[KhunLA]

14 minutes ago, giddyup said:

What is the purpose in monitoring blood oxygen and what can you do if levels are too low?

Make sure level is at least above 90, preferably 95+, if not, go find out why.  

 

Most heart attacks are caused by low blood/oxygen flow to heart.  Prefer to find out oxygen level is low before the heart attack, as might skip on by that, and go right to cardiac arrest, which most don't recover from, unless already at the hospital.

 

[TroubleandGrumpy]

Made in Japan Models | Personal Lines | Medical | Products | A&D (aandd.jp)

Bought this is Aust some years ago - works great and extremely accurate - cannot say the same for the devices in most Clinics here.

Best to take pressure first thing in morning and keep a record.

 

[scubascuba3]

Just get a 300 baht Lazada one with great reviews and compare to existing one

[giddyup]

2 hours ago, Encid said:

 

This page will provide you with the differences in model numbers, although I do not see the 7130 listed... perhaps it has been discontinued?

 

Still available on Lazada but maybe old stock.

[sirineou]

Get the Omron Model BP5250, 

It connects with you smartphone Omron app and keeps an automatic record, with a time and date of the reading, you can even add a note 

"Hot chick just walked by, subtract 200 points from reading"  

[KannikaP]

4 hours ago, jayboy said:

machines often not calibrated regularly

How often do you get your home machine calibrated?

[jayboy]

9 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

How often do you get your home machine calibrated?

 

Last time was about two years ago at shop in Bumrungrad when I brought a new cuff. I should do it more often.

 

But I also have two machines which I alternate to make sure readings are consistent.

[giddyup]

1 hour ago, jayboy said:

 

Last time was about two years ago at shop in Bumrungrad when I brought a new cuff. I should do it more often.

 

But I also have two machines which I alternate to make sure readings are consistent.

Who would do that in Pattaya? I also have two machines, an Omron and a Chinese cheapie, both from Lazada. Both machines give almost identical readings which suggests that they are either both wrong or both right.

[bluejets]

On 4/14/2024 at 12:42 PM, giddyup said:

and am beginning to doubt it's accuracy, as I always get a higher reading at the doctors or dentists than at home.

 

I'd steer away from thinking the instrument is inaccurate.

More likely inaccuracy in the tests done at doctors or whatever.

Reason being, conditions vary dramatically at, or on the way to the latter.

 

Medical staff used to argue with me about my readings so I was advise by my GP to do a series of tests around similar times, night and morning, for a week and look at the average.

Also told me to keep the results and show anyone who asked.

 

Around a week after, had the need to visit the outpatients section of local hospital, waiting room for 5 hours on hard as seating and freezing air conditioning.

Issue came up, showed them the previous test result sheet, .............oh...mmmm.....ok....no problem.

Well, there was, no hospital blankets given out anymore in the freezing air con because "someone might trip over it" ...........crazy shit these days.

 

Overall, Omron BP tester should be fine.........maybe you need new batteries.

[Chongalulu]

5 years ago in Uk I bought a Boots (chemist) branded product. You quickly see the Omron brand name on parts of it. My doctors had omron too. Made in Vietnam. Seems the obvious choice so just get the model with the features you want. Basic does the job but mine keeps a record of previous readings to compare with.

[Lacessit]

I use a wrist monitor, it reads close to a doctor's instrument. I have severe white coat syndrome.

 

I took a week's worth of readings to my local GP. Average 125/65. I am not on any blood pressure medication.

 

In his presence, the wrist monitor read 184/ 95. His reading was 191/99.

 

That does have me wondering how many doctors are prescribing BP medication unnecessarily.

[Jaggg88]

24 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I use a wrist monitor, it reads close to a doctor's instrument. I have severe white coat syndrome.

 

I took a week's worth of readings to my local GP. Average 125/65. I am not on any blood pressure medication.

 

In his presence, the wrist monitor read 184/ 95. His reading was 191/99.

 

That does have me wondering how many doctors are prescribing BP medication unnecessarily.

I read an article saying almost a third of the world's population suffers from white coat syndrome. In the UK you have to wear a BP monitor for 24 hours so the doctor has an accurate reading before he prescribes medication. My reading at the Thai dentist was 156/101 (I was there for root canal work) but my reading at home was 128/81 and 126/83 - I have two machines (Omron and Kinetik) The correct way to monitor your BP is to take the reading at the same time every day (doesn't matter what time). The cuff should be at the same height as your heart and your feet should be flat on the ground with you sitting upright. There should be silence with no outside stimuli. Take 3 readings about 3/5 minutes apart and add them together and divide by 3. This will give you your mean BP and it will be far more accurate than the near useless static machines they use in Thai hospitals.