Blood Pressure

Know Your Numbers

Blood Pressure Testing Week 2009

Know Your Numbers runs  7 – 14th September 2009

Always keen to support the national awareness week for blood pressure testing this years nationwide event will see free blood pressure checks throughout the UK.  Testing stations, run by professionally qualified volunteers will open their doors to the public to take blood pressure readings and offer advice and information about high blood pressure.

Find your nearest free blood pressure check

To find your nearest Pressure Station, enter your postcode and click ‘Find nearest’!

If you want to speak to someone about blood pressure the bpassoc operate an information line – 020 8772 4994 which is available Monday to Friday. Of course it is likely that the volume of calls will increase during a successful “know your numbers” awareness week.

Know Your Numbers -100,000,000

36 years ago in 1973 Omron Healthcare manufactured and began selling blood pressure monitors – by the end of August 2009 they passed a significant milestone – 100 models sold in 100 countries totalling 100 million blood pressure monitors sold enabling people around the world to keep track of their blood pressure measurements. The latest range of Omron monitors include climate change beating solar powered machines and machines that directly link into diagnostic laptop computers. which relay information to health care professionals.

Know Your Numbers -  100 days

One hundred days until the climate change meeting in Copenhagen

Conveniently coinciding with the 10:10 campaign in which participants vow to reduce their  CO2 emissions byy 10% in 20010 the Copenhagen climate change pow wow is a hundred days away and environmental groups are preparing for this by supporting the 10 10 cliamte change effort

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Clinically Approved Blood Pressure Monitors

There are many blood pressure monitors on the market, but not all of them have been clinically validated for accuracy. The British Hypertension Society (BHS) maintains an up-to-date list of clinically validated blood pressure monitors, which we have reproduced on this page The majority of clinically validated monitors are upper arm monitors, where the cuff is put around the arm, above the elbow. However a number of wrist monitors are now clinically validated, but readings at home may be inaccurate if the wrist is not held at heart level. For this reason, the British Hypertension Society recommends the use of upper arm monitors in preference to wrist monitors.

All monitors that are clinically validated will give a reliable result, regardless of whether they cost £35 or £135. The differences in cost reflect the number of additional features a monitor has (for example the ability to store previous readings or speak out readings). But none of the extra features is necessary for an accurate reading, only that the monitor is clinically validated.

Where to buy a blood pressure monitor

Many shops and chemists stock blood pressure monitors but you will find these models cheaper online from medical equipment supply specialist such as Medisave

Cuff size:

If you have very large or very small arms you may need a smaller or larger sized cuff – ask your doctor or nurse for advice. If different sizes are available for any models they are listed as:  small , standard and large.

Resperate

This device is not clinically validated but reports from the USA show that when used in conjunction with existing treatments resperate does help to lower BP by encourging breathing control.

up-to-date list of clinically validated blood pressure monitors,

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