What Causes High BP Every Time I Check Using Wrist Monitors?

Posted on Sat, 19 Sep 2015

Question: i have had a history of having high blood pressure sometimes. i have a unit at home to test it at home. (automatic arm cuff one). today i decided to check it and it was 171/76. i was shocked and didnt believe it was accurate so i went and bought a new one that goes on your wrist and is automatic. that gave me a reading of 138/81. I have tested both a few times and the arm cuff is still really high and the new wrist one isnt. what one is more accurate? or which one should i go off?

Answered by Dr. Vivek Chail (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Please confirm with your doctor and send faulty machine for correction

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXX,
Thanks for writing in to us.

I have read through your query in detail.
Please find my observations below.

1. There are many factors due to which the arm cuff blood pressure might be malfunctioning and I have come across many such faulty instruments in my practice. You might like to take both the blood pressure monitors to your doctor and request the nurse to measure the blood pressure after 30 minutes of rest and using both your monitors and the blood pressure monitor in the hospital. In the hospital the blood pressure monitors are regularly calibrated for errors to enable accurate readings and avoid confusion.

2. I suggest you get the arm cuff blood pressure monitor calibrated by the manufacturer of the unit. At the same time you might record the blood pressure of a close friend and relative using both instruments and confirm the error in blood pressure recording.

3. In my experience an error of 5 to 10 percent in blood pressure recording by different instruments is acceptable. However one blood pressure monitor showing 171/ 76 and another one showing 138/ 81 is surely an indicator of error.

Please feel free to correct any oversight in my interpretation of your problems and discuss them in detail as per your requirements.

Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.

Regards,
Dr.Vivek

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar