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The Kitchen Table

What Blood Pressure Cuff to Purchase

WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a

10 years ago

I need to purchase a blood pressure cuff for home use. I have done a Google search trying to find what cuff would be the best for home use, but had no luck.

I am hoping some of you can recommend a good cuff for me.

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Comments (20)

terilyn
10 years ago
I have had a Target brand one for years. Still works perfectly.
0
Lindsey_CA
10 years ago
I have an Omron brand blood pressure cuff. Love it. I've had it for at least 10 years, and it works great.
0
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I realize that this is a dated thread. However, the last comment leaves a negative impression about herbal medicines. I have hypertension and an inquisitive and scientific mind and checked out Eric's conclusion that hawthorn is mutagenic. The mutagenic testing in the cited research paper was done with quercetin at 98% minimum purity purchased from Sigma Chemical Co. This study did not look at the many glycosylated forms of quercetin that are very prevalent with hawthorn. There are many publications that explain that hawthorn extract has many medicinal components. One recent summary goes into great detail about hawthorn's 49 distinct flavonoid compounds 5 hydroxycinnamic acids; six sugars; 10 organic or phenolic acids; 26 terpenes; and 56 essential oil constituents. Nature's pharmacy is awe-inspiring! I researched mutagenic testing on the hawthorn extract that is prepared for dosing patients. Sadly, I cannot find published data on the Ames test for hawthorn extract by itself. There is an interesting study where hawthorn is used in combination with valerian and passion flower. This study concludes that there are no harmful effects caused by the herbal mixture. The paper states " this extract does not posess any genotoxic or mutagenicity effect: both the Ames test and the micronuclei test presented negative results". Also, searching Pubmed shows many publications where hawthorn is safe and effective over the long term. I have the impression that Eric _OH dismisses ethnobotanical knowledge is being out of date and primitive. I disagree. I think that many of our ancestors were wise healers and lived long and productive lives with the help of herbal medicines. A 2012 review in Phytochemistry explains that many Indian tribes in numerous First Nations used hawthorn. The Meskwaki, Blackfoot, Ojibwa, Potawatomi, Okanagon, Okanagan-Colville, Iroquois, and Cherokee all used the berries and/or various decoctions of the shoots, roots, and bark of different Crataegus species. The Cherokee and Thompson also used decoctions of the bark as a heart medicine. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), hawthorn fruits are primarily used to improve circulation, remove blood stasis, and treat indigestion, diarrhea, abdominal pain, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. In Europe, the fruits, leaves, and flowers were traditionally used in the treatment of heart problems for their antispasmodic, cardiotonic, hypotensive, and antiatherosclerotic effects. In summary, it appears to me that hawthorn is a great choice for treating hypertension. I hope to share personal experience once I wean myself off of Metoprolol with the help of my physician.
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Almost exactly a year ago, I had a similar thing - my bp, which had always been on the low side, started running 145/90 or so. The docs wanted to put me on meds, but I tried them for a week or so and had awful side effects, so I decided I was going to try lifestyle changes. I had really let myself go and gained a lot of weight over the past several years, and I was pretty much a couch potato. And I had a strong family history of heart disease working againast me as well. So I went from halfheartedly exercising once or twice a week to 4-5x/week for 45 mins or an hour at a good clip (usually, I ride the recumbent bike and I'm usually dripping sweat by 20 minutes into it). I also cut back on salt and started eating healthier food and less of it. I've lost 50 lbs in the past year and my bp has been pretty good for the last 8 months or so -- it will still occasionally spike with stress or too much caffeine so I know I don't have the problem licked, but I am at least keeping it at bay. A few things you might consider if your bp is up even though you don't seem to have changed anything (and you don't have 50 lbs to lose like I did, LOL!). Some meds have the side effect of raising bp - these include antihistamines, cold medicines/decongestants and some antidepressants. If you've started any meds since the last time your bp was normal, you might want to talk to your doc about whether that could be contributing to the problem. Also, watch what you drink -- too much caffeine can definitely raise your bp. Also I found that all the diet coke/nutrasweet I was drinking seemed to be contributing -- when I was diagnosed, I was drinking probably 8-10 cans of diet coke a day. While researching high bp, I came across a page that said that nutrasweet breaks down into a chemical very similar to epinephrine and can raise your bp. So I quit diet coke cold turkey and within two weeks, my bp was much improved. I have since had diet coke a few times at parties and such and I always notice a bp spike afterwards (not sure if it's psychological though - maybe I'm just expecting it so nerving myself up). But if you drink a lot of diet soda or eat a lot of artificial sweeteners, you might try cutting them out for a week or two to see if it helps. Also, be sure you are eating enough potassium. Potassium helps remove water from the body in the same way that sodium retains it. Many folks do not get enough potassium in their diets and that in itself can raise bp. Try eating some foods high in potassium or taking some supplements to see if it helps. Finally, try amping up your exercise if you are physiucally able to - walk faster, work harder, and sweat more. Sweating removes excess water from the body and will help to lower bp, while the cardio helps strengthen your heart and overall health of your circulatory system. Good luck - I hope you are able to find something that works for you!
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None. None at all. One day, about 6 years ago, I was waiting in the supermarket pharmacy for someone to get a prescription filled. they had one of those free BP machines. I sat down and tried it. The number was waaaay too high for normal...so I assumed the machine wasn't working properly. Because,I felt fine. A couple of months later, one morning, I had horrible dizziness, nausea, and very short of breath. I thought I was having a heart attack, was afraid to drive, and called 911. I walked into the ambulance,sat on the cot, and as a formality...the EMT took my BP. He yelled to the driver to turn the siren on, pushed me down on my back, dialed the hospital...and then started giving me these horrible little pills (nitroglycerin). My BP was 250 something over 180 something ! Turns out I didn't have a heart attack, but whle I was in the hospital the next few days...I lost count of how many people came in to see the woman who was walking and talking with the highest BP they had ever seen, and without having an MI.
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Seems like it might be a good idea to return that cuff, Schoolhouse, and get a different one. Those reviews are very discouraging. I have an Omron wrist monitor, which I like a lot, easy to use, and pretty accurate. I usually take it with me when I have my check-ups, to check it against theirs. It's always within about 2 points of their reading, which he says is perfectly acceptable. To answer your question, yes, I use mine often, sometimes as often as 3 times a day. Almost always at least once a day. No, I am not a hypochondriac, nor am I OCD about it. I have been on BP meds since 1970. It's a pretty long story, so I'm not going to tell it. Just let me say, I'm very fortunate to be alive. Many MANY tests were done, and the cause was found. Various forms of treatment were used. But I have been under the care of a Nephrologist for the last 40 years or so. Appointments every 3 months and daily (almost) monitoring of BP. My case is unusual, but I think that if your doctor suggested you get a cuff and monitor your pressure at home, do it. And keep a written record of the reading with date and time noted. Take that record with you to your appointments. It can be a big help to your doctor in treating you. It will also help you to know if the BP is causing dizzy spells, headaches, etc. Good luck, Rusty
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monica_pa Grieves
10 years ago
Another Omron user here. It has memory that stores prior readings.
0
marie_ndcal
10 years ago
I too have the Omaron brand--got it from CVS on sale and it seems to work great. No matter what brand you buy, take to your doctor/medical center and they will make sure it reads ok.
0
bee0hio
10 years ago
I just recently purchased one. First I checked Consumer Reports for their recommendations (April 2013 issue). They gave 2 "best buy" designations:
Rite Aid brand
CVS brand

We shop at Rite Aid, so I bought the Rite Aid deluxe automatic, it was about $60 + tax. The model # BP3AR1-4DRITE.

I don't have the particulars on the CVS bp monitor, except I do remember that it too was about $60 or so in the Consumer Reports article. If RA hadn't had theirs in stock, I would have tried CVS.

Hope this helps.

Edited to add: we like, and it is easy to use, with clear instructions.

This post was edited by BeeOHIO on Tue, Aug 20, 13 at 19:11
0
gmatx zone 6
10 years ago
Definitely take it with you on your next Dr's visit so they can check it against theirs. Most BP machines for home use these days are well made. The main thing you need to make sure and do is position the cuff correctly on your arm and not move, talk, cough, etc while the reading is being made. Those actions will routinely cause a false reading.
0
golfergrrl
10 years ago
Have a Microlife. Works nicely.
0
grandmamary_ga
10 years ago
I have one I bought from Kroger about 10 years ago and it works great. I have my blood pressure check at dialysis every 30 minutes when I'm on dialysis and my home system always gives me the same results as I get there. I think I paid around $40, over 10 years ago.
Mary
0
socks
10 years ago
We have Omron. Works fine.
Don't know if it's accurate, but at least we are comparing numbers from the same machine each time we measure.
0
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
10 years ago
My doctor recommended an Omron when my other one died, we have been very happy with it. Many of the doctors offices use the Omron brand. The link is like the one I have.

Here is a link that might be useful: Omron
0
monica_pa Grieves
10 years ago
Raven, that's the one I have.
0
WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you all so very much. This gives me some options to look at and your first hand experiences are extremely helptful.
0
breenthumb
10 years ago
We have a couple of Omrons here too. The older one gives one reading. The newer one (inherited) stores the last 14 readings. Both work fine. I leave one downstairs and one on the computer desk upstairs to use whenever I remember.
0
susanjf_gw
10 years ago
that's what I bought dh..target...just make sure the cuff is the "right" size....(we had to get large)
0
ricklarson007
9 years ago
Omron is good. Be sure to check the cuff size. Omron one fits medium to Large arms. If you need just the small one then needs to order that separately.
I am using the one that comes with Omron and pretty happy with it.
If you are looking for monitor you can check Omron BP785 or BP786.

This post was edited by ricklarson007 on Thu, Oct 23, 14 at 13:54
0
phyllis__mn
9 years ago
Spam???
0
monica_pa Grieves
9 years ago
Omron...mine keeps a history dated and timed. I bring it to cardiologist when I go for a check-up.
0
jemdandy
9 years ago
I have HoMedics from Walgreens and can not recommend it. I bought my unit about 3 yrs ago, so changes could have been made in the intrim. It is easy enough to use and has a good display. My gripe: Suspected accuracy. I have to take more than one reading to get a repeat reading. The first reading is always higher than the next try, and its is high by a significant amount. The pressure sensor seems to have hysteresis.
0
phoggie
9 years ago
I also have an Omron...had it for years and it still works great.
0
lindaohnowga
9 years ago
Paramedics told us that you should get a new one every 4 years. Our pharmacist told us to get an Omron, so that is what we have.
0

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