My Home Blood Pressure Monitor
I’ve just finished reading the best information about taking blood pressure in a December 13, 2010 New York Times article posted in the Science section. For years I’ve wondered about some of this information, and though I take my blood pressure on a regular basis, I could never get the answers to my questions.
Read Pressure Problems, written by C. Claiborne Ray, to get all sorts of information about the conditions that influence blood pressure readings as well as some suggestions to follow when you take blood pressure readings at home. This is useful information for me and for my senior parents.
When I visit my primary care physician, the nurse always takes my blood pressure at the beginning of my appointment, but my doctor always takes it again, just as the Times article recommends. What’s cool is that it is always lower the second time. Also, once a year she asks me to bring in my monitor to compare its readings with the readings she gets with her equipment. Thanks for so much help, Dr. B!
A Few Other Good Links About Blood Pressure Home Monitoring
- Tips for Having Your Blood Pressure Taken – National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NIH)
- How to Measure Blood Pressure Using an Automatic Monitor – Mayo Clinic video
- Getting the Most Out of Home Blood Pressure Monitoring – Mayo Clinic
- Home Blood Pressure Monitoring – National Heart Association
As Our Parents Age So Do We 