The instructions that came with each were all pretty strict in describing how readings should be taken - sitting upright in a chair, feet flat on the floor, arm resting on a table, cuff at heart level, no noise or talking, no eating or exercise within a half hour of taking the BP - but in the doc's office I'm slouched on an examining table, my arm dangling often unsupported at my side, the tech usually talking away while taking the reading, lately they've taken to putting the cuff right over the sleeve of my shirt rather than bothering to have me roll it up so they can use my bare arm for the reading - when I've complained about the disparity of readings in the office and at home, they usually laughingly mention the well-known "White Coat Syndrome" which acknowledges that many people show higher BP's in doctors' offices because of nervousness about being examined - all in all the whole blood pressure thing seems almost a joke to many I've encountered at the doctor's - until they start talking about raising my medication dosages to control the elevated pressures I probably wouldn't have if I weren't there to begin with.....
Know what you mean. I have two at the house and they are always in agreement. Like I said they are the exact ones the Dr uses and his are always higher. But yeah. I am slouched in a chair and arm dangling. Sometimes I wonder if the Dr’s is rigged to show higher than normal to push pills............. I don’t know. I do know this. The machines at the house always get my heart rate spot on versus when I do the heart rate measurement the old fashion way. So I assume the BP reading is correct.