# Blood pressure monitor question **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 4, 2017, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-monitor-question/788103 "2017-06-04T14:15:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-monitor-question/788103/1 "2017-06-04T14:15:58Z")
You’re not my doctor, etc. in the space of an hour I get very different results from different blood pressure monitors. At Walmart and my doctor’s office I get good (low) results. At home it’s always higher. I try to follow the instructions for the 2 different models. I wish there was a way to check/calibrate them. Anyone else inthe same boat? ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-monitor-question/788103/2 "2017-06-04T14:54:41Z")
My doctor told me to take my unit to his office on my next visit and compare results. While not really calibration, it is a good way to check to see if your unit is consistently giving high results. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-monitor-question/788103/3 "2017-06-04T15:11:59Z")
> [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#): > > My doctor told me to take my unit to his office on my next visit and compare results. While not really calibration, it is a good way to check to see if your unit is consistently giving high results. Good plan. Really, having a measurement device you cannot calibrate seems counterintuitive. ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-monitor-question/788103/4 "2017-06-04T16:59:26Z")
> [@seal\_cleaner](#): > > Good plan. Really, having a measurement device you cannot calibrate seems counterintuitive. [del]Most[/del]Many thermometers have no provision for calibration. You can check the accuracy, but there is no method for adjustment. In fact, it seems to me that most consumer-level measurement devices have no method to calibrate. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-monitor-question/788103/5 "2017-06-04T19:43:59Z")
> [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#): > > [del]Most[/del]Many thermometers have no provision for calibration. You can check the accuracy, but there is no method for adjustment. In fact, it seems to me that most consumer-level measurement devices have no method to calibrate. You’re right, of course. I work in commercial print, and use various densitometers for color consistency. They’re useless without calibration. ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-monitor-question/788103/6 "2017-06-04T19:53:57Z")
> [@seal\_cleaner](#): > > You’re not my doctor, etc. in the space of an hour I get very different results from different blood pressure monitors. At Walmart and my doctor’s office I get good (low) results. At home it’s always higher. I try to follow the instructions for the 2 different models. I wish there was a way to check/calibrate them. Anyone else inthe same boat? Just buy the more expensive ones than the cheap once they have for the public. The more expensive it is the more it will be like the once the doctor uses. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-monitor-question/788103/7 "2017-06-04T20:15:08Z")
I take mine to which ever Doc is my current one and other places I go and compare. I have a simple subtraction number that put me right with the good ones of the doctors. Consistency is what is important., I look for changes, not the number. Been using the same unit for over 30 years and the correction has never changed. Thermostats are the same, I don’t care about the number, if I feel that it is right I don’t care if it is reading 123 or 47, as long as I get the same 67 degrees I want. I like a thermostat without numbers. No one goes up to it and reads a number and says they are cold/hot because of the number they see. Many people have to see the number they want before they will admit that they are comfortable. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-monitor-question/788103/8 "2017-06-04T23:36:37Z")
I gave up on my monitor; it read consistently lower than the doctor’s. I brought it in to an appt to compare. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-monitor-question/788103/9 "2017-06-04T23:51:37Z")
> [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#): > > My doctor told me to take my unit to his office on my next visit and compare results. While not really calibration, it is a good way to check to see if your unit is consistently giving high results. I did that. Mine came within 10 points of what the doctor’s unit got. He said that was as close as you can expect two different units to read. He also told me to buy an Omron (that’s what I have). It was around $70 on Amazon. It seems to be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-monitor-question/788103/10 "2017-06-05T08:25:08Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I did that. Mine came within 10 points of what the doctor’s unit got. He said that was as close as you can expect two different units to read. > > He also told me to buy an Omron (that’s what I have). It was around $70 on Amazon. It seems to be fine. That is _exactly_ [the make/model](https://www.amazon.com/Omron-Pressure-Monitor-Standard-BP785N/dp/B00KPQB2SS/ref=dp_ob_title_hpc) we recently purchased **Tim R. Mortiss** and we are very happy with it. You can set it up to save the blood pressure readings for more than one user. Also, my health care reimbursement plan covered the cost of the device, so I got full reimbursement. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-monitor-question/788103/11 "2017-06-05T21:12:12Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > That is _exactly_ [the make/model](https://www.amazon.com/Omron-Pressure-Monitor-Standard-BP785N/dp/B00KPQB2SS/ref=dp_ob_title_hpc) we recently purchased **Tim R. Mortiss** and we are very happy with it. You can set it up to save the blood pressure readings for more than one user. Also, my health care reimbursement plan covered the cost of the device, so I got full reimbursement. 😉 I bought the same unit. UPS just dropped it off an hour ago. I got it hooked up and did a couple readings. The hospital I was in for my recent and still undiagnosed “cardiac event” sent a BP monitor, oximeter and a scale home with me to use for 90 days. They are hooked up via magic to my heart clinic so they get my numbers every day when I use them. I’ll compare the hospital issued unit (made by Phillips) with the new Omron when I do my BP tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-monitor-question/788103/12 "2017-06-06T01:58:13Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > I bought the same unit. UPS just dropped it off an hour ago. I got it hooked up and did a couple readings. The hospital I was in for my recent and still undiagnosed “cardiac event” sent a BP monitor, oximeter and a scale home with me to use for 90 days. They are hooked up via magic to my heart clinic so they get my numbers every day when I use them. I’ll compare the hospital issued unit (made by Phillips) with the new Omron when I do my BP tomorrow. Cool **River Hippie**. Regarding, “They are hooked up via magic to my heart clinic”. Does this involve using a land line to transmit the data?