Posted on 08/13/2025 9:35:38 AM PDT by Red Badger
The real problem is that these stupid new automatic devices have wildly-varying results... truly all over the map. And they’re laughable when the batteries are anywhere near weak.
The studies that came up with the original results for BP would have been done with the same cuffs so the base line would be off by the same amount.
Does this mean all the problems associated with high blood pressure are off by the same 6-10 points? If so, why does it make a difference?
I have had issues with HBP for 30 years. On several medications. Need to lose about 30 pounds. Have reduced salt in my diet drastically.
My cardiologist says to take my BP first thing every morning immediately after emptying my bladder.
Two things:
1. If my arm rests on the table about 12” below my heart level reading are about 10mm higher than if I have it resting on a surface at the level of my heart. (Which is how it is supposed to be read.)
2. I normally take evening pills about 8:00 PM. If I delay even a half an hour the readings are another 10-15mm lower than if I take meds at 8:00. Almost like I’m catching their effectiveness just before it drops off.
I’ve found that those *&#^@ machines ALWAYS read too high and I’ve had plenty of nurses tell me so.
When I get a manual, done by a real human being, blood pressure, it’s almost always close to my usual.
When they use that blankety-blank machine, it adjusts the pressure and about squeezes my arm off and takes FOREVER to deflate.
And they wonder why it reads high.
And then of course, they show concern and start talking blood pressure meds.
What I finally did with my PCP was told her to look at the readings from my allergy shots and when she did, she dropped the subject.
So many variables when measuring BP....My primary care and cardiologist have both actually cautioned me against monitoring it TOO much.
For these and other factors the best method IMO is aggregation of data; several readings across different days/times to discern the average and median.
My wife has high blood pressure. Her is always lower at the DR when done manually as opposed to the auto.
For home I bought an Oxiline ($100) that is tested to be 99% accurate and comes with a lifetime warranty. It’s proven to live up to that for us.
As regards the people in the article that might get a reading of 135 when it might read 142 when done manually - too bad, you’re gonna die. And soon.
Seriously, docs are pushing meds on anyone that is above 130 anyway. They are not “missing” people who *need* treatment because of 5-7 points. That’s just hooey.
IOW, the supposed high blood pressure is actually 20 higher than the supposed healthy average. Panic porn. 😎
They’re all broken. Just like the doctor scales are broken. All of them claim I am fat.
My doc practice is a traditional MD and holistic MD.
When my BP slightly high, the holistic MD said, “Do you want the traditional med approach or my recommendation. I said both. So she prescribed a med, but then said, lose weight, take beet juice, drink lemon water and hibiscus tea. And use potassium chloride but be ready to adjust it based on diet etc (I.e., don’t overdose on potassium)
I haven’t lost all the weight I want, but even with her natural approaches, my BP dropped by 15-20.
And I haven’t taken the med
Hey, wait a minute - mine does too! I think it’s a conspiracy.
Crap. I was hoping they’d say they were reading too high. Wah!
I use a wrist monitor. It seems to be reliable.
I have a machine at home and check my blood pressure every morning for both arms. The readings are sometimes quite a bit different even though it’s just a couple of minutes between one reading and the other. I usually get better readings from the Red Cross when I give blood.
Exactly!
140/90 used to be considered normal.
People who are obsessed with taking their blood pressure are usually the first to die.
billions of bp readings taken over decades, and they claim to come up with one systemic error? That goes beyond Occam’s razor to some quantized demon.But it will promote more prescriptions. I do wonder how many higher readings are accepted by not allowing 10 minutes between first and second readings at doctor’s office.
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