equipment recommends please for measuring blood pressure

[void]

Hi,

tl;dr: is there an accurate watch-based blood pressure monitor that is recommended?

I already use a&d UA-651SL which is an upper-arm sphygmomanometer, and it appears accurate.

I was thinking of getting a wrist or a watch-based one for use when out and about
but am concerned about accuracy.

I've looked at the (a&d) UB-542 and the UB-543 which have the following advantages:

* not all that expensive, particularly secondhand from eg ebay
* validated on https://bihs.org.uk/bp-monitors/for-home-use/

disadvantages:

* relatively large thing to wear on the wrist. not really discreet.
* looks (to me) like medical equipment

Generally, a watch advantages:

* discreet
* looks like a watch
* less expensive than wrist bp monitors

disadvantages:

* can't find one that is validated.

Does anyone here use these monitors? Are the watch ones 'accurate enough'?
I saw one of the watch ones (can't remember which) advising not to use for diabetes.
Is there one that can be used with diabetes?

thanks

 

[PerSpinasAdAstra]

List of independently-validated BP monitors here:

Medaval

Reviews and Ratings of Medical Equipment

medaval.ie

There are a couple on the list that are or look like a watch. I have the Aktiia bracelet which is discreet and you forget you're wearing it but I'm not particularly happy with it at the price. It is validated but not for use by diabetics, but they are running a trial I believe. It'll probably be just as (in)accurate for diabetics as for anyone else.

The problem I have with it is the arm cuff that comes with it, which is used to calibrate the readings from the bracelet. It's too big for my arm and doesn't really feel like good quality. Every time I calibrate the device the readings from the cuff may be on the high side or the low side depending on how tightly I wrap the cuff onto my arm. Those readings then influence the readings in the Aktiia app until it's next calibrated. It takes up to 5 or so reading per hour automatically but only when you haven't been moving for a while, and it's better at gathering readings when sitting down than while asleep or standing. I tend to get about 1 or 2 readings per hour from it most days.

I looked into the cuff issue a bit and found that the device barely scraped a validation for people with low BMI, probably because the cuff is too big for small arms. I ended up buying another BP meter, an Omron, just to that I had a reference point to compare to the readings from the Aktiia cuff. If I sit still long enough taking readings from the Omron and the Aktiia cuff, repositioning the cuff when the readings are very different between the two devices, I can get the bracelet/app to give readings that are reasonably close to the Omron (which reads the same no matter how I place the cuff for that monitor). This lets me put the Aktiia readings into context until I next calibrate it. It's a total pain though given how much it costs.

I got it so that I could show the reports it generates to my doctor, who is regularly sending me home with a noisy 24 hour BP monitor on my arm (which keeps me awake at night and annoys me a great deal). The doctor then looks at the report from that device, hums and haws about how my BP isn't going down when I'm asleep and actually goes up sometimes in the middle of the night, and how that's bad and unusual and I might need more BP meds. He doesn't listen when I tell him I didn't sleep much and that the high BP in the middle of the night is probably due to the little fits of 'rage' prompted by the loud buzzing noise and pressure on my arm starting again just as I was about to fall asleep.

The Aktiia gives me a report that shows my BP does in fact go down when I'm asleep, so that's good. I can show that to my doctor but when I do I'll have to show him another report from the Omron app in order to explain how I know the Aktiia was giving high readings on a given month. Really not great for the money. The reviews online suggest that my experience isn't the norm though, so it could just be down to me having skinny arms. If that calibration problem was fixed and if the app that comes with it was better (doesn't facilitate export of readings to CSV files or similar) then I'd be very happy with it.

 

[void]

List of independently-validated BP monitors here:

Medaval

Reviews and Ratings of Medical Equipment

medaval.ie

There are a couple on the list that are or look like a watch. I have the Aktiia bracelet which is discreet and you forget you're wearing it but I'm not particularly happy with it at the price. It is validated but not for use by diabetics, but they are running a trial I believe. It'll probably be just as (in)accurate for diabetics as for anyone else.

yeah - the impression I'm getting from looking over this stuff for a few hrs and that list you've linked is that the watch ones are an impossible ask for my diabetic context in terms of tech. I'll prob go for the UB-543. Thank you for your detailed reply.

 

[Lucyr]

I was thinking of getting a wrist or a watch-based one for use when out and about
but am concerned about accuracy.

Why do you need to regularly measure your blood pressure whilst out and about?

 

[goodybags]

I was thinking that myself @Lucyr OK I appreciate we are all different but, I just measure my own blood pressure with a regular over the counter blood pressure monitor, a slightly more crude battery powered blood pressure monitor than the kind of things the HCP’s use, think it cost about £15

 

[Leadinglights]

Omrom blood pressure monitors are pretty good, GPs seem to use those as well, son-in-law asked for one for Xmas when he first went to work as a GP.
The arm cuff size is important and you can buy different sizes.

 

[void]

Why do you need to regularly measure your blood pressure whilst out and about?

Because I recently had a low bp + low heartrate episode. I didn't faint, but I felt very unwell. It (having portable means of measuring bp) can help to know what's going on.

 

[void]

I was thinking that myself @Lucyr OK I appreciate we are all different but, I just measure my own blood pressure with a regular over the counter blood pressure monitor, a slightly more crude battery powered blood pressure monitor than the kind of things the HCP’s use, think it cost about £15

yeah I have a desk one too. The portability I'm looking for is important.

 

[nonethewiser]

Unless times have moved on but they never use to recommend using wrist monitors as a accurate way of measuring bp.

On my second Omron arm cuff bp monitor, bought first one as it was recommended by GP who also uses them in surgery.

 

[Lucyr]

Because I recently had a low bp + low heartrate episode. I didn't faint, but I felt very unwell. It (having portable means of measuring bp) can help to know what's going on.

Did the GP advise carrying a BP monitor with you at all times as the solution to this?

 

[void]

Did the GP advise carrying a BP monitor with you at all times as the solution to this?

It's not a "solution". GP hasn't had a chance to advise one way or the other yet.
It's so I have a chance of being able to tell whether it's a pulse/bp related problem or something else.

 

[void]

Unless times have moved on but they never use to recommend using wrist monitors as a accurate way of measuring bp.

I've looked at the (a&d) UB-542 and the UB-543 which have the following advantages:

* not all that expensive, particularly secondhand from eg ebay
* validated on https://bihs.org.uk/bp-monitors/for-home-use/

both of these are validated wrist bp measuring devices

 

[Lucyr]

It's not a "solution". GP hasn't had a chance to advise one way or the other yet.
It's so I have a chance of being able to tell whether it's a pulse/bp related problem or something else.

If the GP wants to know your BP when out and about they will loan you a 24hr BP device