Review on Accurate Home Blood Pressure Monitor - Automatic Upper Arm Cuff 8.7-15.7In, Large LCD Display & 120 Memory Sets - Device Bag & Batteries Included by Emily Myers

Most people are not aware that electronic BP monitors rely on so called "oscillometric" measurements. They do not measure systolic and diastolic blood pressure directly. They do not pick up the Korotkoff sounds which doctors and nurses hear through stethoscope. Instead, they measure a so called "envelope" of oscillations in pressure picked up from the tube. This envelope is much broader than the range of pressures where Korotkoff sounds are heard, and it has no characteristic features for systolic or diastolic BP. The maximum of the envelope is known to match well the Mean Arterial Pressure. All electronic BP units measure it, but only some clinical grade monitors display it. Systolic and Diastolic are determined as cuff pressure at which signal in the "envelope" decreases by a predefined amount relatively to the maximum. There is no scientifically driven standard algorithm for this. Every manufacturer defines their own algorithm from testing a significant number of patients and from comparison with BP measured with oscilloscope. According to scientific articles, such method is accurate in about 85% of cases. This means, oscillometric devices are accurate for 85 people out of 100, but can report BP with significant errors (up to 20 mm Hg or higher) for the remaining 15. A common cause for errors is high pulse pressure - higher than average difference between systolic and diastolic. For example, if you have 130/80 or 140/82, this is elevated pulse pressure. I am one of those people, and oscillometric BP monitors, as I eventually learned after moving to BP measurements with stethoscope, are not accurate for me. I had three electronic BP monitors, this one being one of them. I eventually returned it because it oftentimes was way too much off. I want to repeat one more time, it was off because I have elevated pulse pressure. It may be accurate for other people. However, in comparison with two other monitors, Omron Evolve which I got from Revain a year ago, and a clinical grade Welch-Allyn, it was the least accurate. When I had difference between systolic and diastolic close to normal, it was accurate, but on days when it was elevated, it could easily be 20-30 mm Hg too high. Scary high readings for no reason. For example, my BP measured with stethoscope would be 130/80, Omron Evolv would measure 127/80, Paramed would show 155/80. Welch Allyn would measure 134/80. So, I ended up returning the Paramed. Aside from being wildly inaccurate (in my case), it is compact, comes with a case, and is very easy to use. One needs to read the manual to find out how to disable voice prompts, if one finds them annoying.