Blood pressure monitors and how to use them; taking a blood pressure measurement; continuous monitoring

Sly Saint said:
New wearable device offers real-time blood pressure monitoring
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This looks very intelligent. I wonder if there are calibration factors that need to be considered - may be for age and sex because the absolute relationship between BP and time delay may depend on artery stiffness and things like that. I would expect that to have been investigated though. Even if there is doubt over the absolute BP value deduced it might still be a very useful way to track BP over 24hrs to check that single readings with another method are representative.

The time delay might actually turn out to be a better predictor of health risk than BP itself though.
 
My GP has recently started taking x3 BP readings in a row. The nurse straps on the cuff, takes the first reading and then leaves the room and tells me to keep the cuff on for #2 and #3 reading.

The first reading was on the higher end, second a little lower and third normal. My GP told me that is normally what they see.
 
Sly Saint said:
New wearable device offers real-time blood pressure monitoring



www.news-medical.net

New wearable device offers real-time blood pressure monitoring

Seoul National University College of Engineering announced that a research team led by Professor Seung Hwan Ko of the Wearable Soft Electronics Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, has developed a wearable electronic device that attaches to the skin like a bandage and enables real-time...
www.news-medical.net www.news-medical.net
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Brilliant, fingers crossed.

I’d of thought something like that would have been long available, a significant gap in medical technology. The cuff can be so painful, especially when you’re trying to get repeat results in a single day.
 
I’ve bought one of the Hilo (previously Aktiia) wearables and so far, so good in terms of comparison to the Omron cuff device I have used previously (and appears identical to what my GP surgery uses).

Hilo comes with the wearable band and a cuff that is used periodically to calibrate the results (it says to do so once a month as a minimum). Having done the initial setup and calibration, I wasn’t convinced that the results were right as I knew broadly where I normally am, so compared back to my Omron and was about 20 higher than I’d expect.

So, I did the calibration again last night and sure enough, it came up different and eventually it agreed with my Omron.

Today it’s been quietly ticking away, taken 38 measurements so far, including the couple that it prompted me to do, using the camera on my phone, which again, correlates accurately to my Omron.

I’ve had to swap my watch to my right wrist as it suggests best to wear on the non-dominant wrist as it is typically measured when there is no movement. Am thus adjusting 40-odd years of watch wearing to my other wrist.

Yes, it’s expensive, but, am hoping it gives me some insights to what affects my BP and can provide my GP with the stats and see if they will accept - time will tell on that front.

I’m encouraged by the correlation to my Omron cuff so far, even if the old stethoscope way is best, most of us don’t have that ability and it’s been approved by numerous countries for use.

Can report back in sure course when I’ve done a decent stint with it. Battery life is also encouraging, suggests 14 days.

ETA - I think it helps my knowing what my ‘normal’ is to know the numbers were wrong. So, would probably benefit early on to take manual readings to check what the wrist band is saying - the phone camera readings I took to check were in the region of where I expected, so, it has means to do so.
 
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Fainbrog said:
I’ve bought one of the Hilo (previously Aktiia) wearables and so far, so good in terms of comparison to the Omron cuff device I have used previously (and appears identical to what my GP surgery uses).

Hilo comes with the wearable band and a cuff that is used periodically to calibrate the results (it says to do so once a month as a minimum). Having done the initial setup and calibration, I wasn’t convinced that the results were right as I knew broadly where I normally am, so compared back to my Omron and was about 20 higher than I’d expect.

So, I did the calibration again last night and sure enough, it came up different and eventually it agreed with my Omron.

Today it’s been quietly ticking away, taken 38 measurements so far, including the couple that it prompted me to do, using the camera on my phone, which again, correlates accurately to my Omron.

I’ve had to swap my watch to my right wrist as it suggests best to wear on the non-dominant wrist as it is typically measured when there is no movement. Am thus adjusting 40-odd years of watch wearing to my other wrist.

Yes, it’s expensive, but, am hoping it gives me some insights to what affects my BP and can provide my GP with the stats and see if they will accept - time will tell on that front.

I’m encouraged by the correlation to my Omron cuff so far, even if the old stethoscope way is best, most of us don’t have that ability and it’s been approved by numerous countries for use.

Can report back in sure course when I’ve done a decent stint with it. Battery life is also encouraging, suggests 14 days.

ETA - I think it helps my knowing what my ‘normal’ is to know the numbers were wrong. So, would probably benefit early on to take manual readings to check what the wrist band is saying - the phone camera readings I took to check were in the region of where I expected, so, it has means to do so.
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thanks for the updates. please keep them coming as I'm also interested in this.

Is it something that is 'wearable' ie you don't have to carry around the box bit that on other cuff ones has to sit on the side or something and is attached by a metre of tubing?

Can you do spontaneous measures eg if you are wearing it all the time and have a 'moment' then can just press a button to see if it is anything to do with blood pressure/what bp is?
 
bobbler said:
thanks for the updates. please keep them coming as I'm also interested in this.

Is it something that is 'wearable' ie you don't have to carry around the box bit that on other cuff ones has to sit on the side or something and is attached by a metre of tubing?

Can you do spontaneous measures eg if you are wearing it all the time and have a 'moment' then can just press a button to see if it is anything to do with blood pressure/what bp is?
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Will happily share progress.

In terms of the wearable, it’s literally just the wrist thing you have to wear, it’s about 1cm wide, very little to it, like a really small watch strap. Just need the cuff for periodic calibration, so, it can sit in a drawer until needed (they say once a month minimum). It comes with a charging dock thing, but, suggests 14 days battery life which will be good if it lives up to that.

Spontaneous readings are done via the app/phone camera, it has an option to measure and takes you through three readings based on your finger on the camera lens with the flashlight on (very similar to how Visible takes HR and HRV measurements for those who don’t have the Polar armband, so am quite used to that). There doesn’t seem to be an option to trigger a reading from the wristband, though, it seems to take fairly regular readings and what I read suggested it has a go when you are still, so, just sitting quietly is potentially enough to get a reading.

ETA - I’ll be looking to spot patterns around PEM and other things going on in life to see what the impact is and as you say, if you have a ‘moment’ being able to do a quick finger reading will be really handy. New obsession unlocked
 
Fainbrog said:
Will happily share progress.

In terms of the wearable, it’s literally just the wrist thing you have to wear, it’s about 1cm wide, very little to it, like a really small watch strap. Just need the cuff for periodic calibration, so, it can sit in a drawer until needed (they say once a month minimum). It comes with a charging dock thing, but, suggests 14 days battery life which will be good if it lives up to that.

Spontaneous readings are done via the app/phone camera, it has an option to measure and takes you through three readings based on your finger on the camera lens with the flashlight on (very similar to how Visible takes HR and HRV measurements for those who don’t have the Polar armband, so am quite used to that). There doesn’t seem to be an option to trigger a reading from the wristband, though, it seems to take fairly regular readings and what I read suggested it has a go when you are still, so, just sitting quietly is potentially enough to get a reading.

ETA - I’ll be looking to spot patterns around PEM and other things going on in life to see what the impact is and as you say, if you have a ‘moment’ being able to do a quick finger reading will be really handy. New obsession unlocked
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:trophy@:heart:
 
A three-weeks-in update;

Am still broadly happy with it. Given the early travails and calibration need, I've moved from the obsessing about what the numbers are phase to a just let it do it's thing, phase.

Battery life was just shy of the 2 weeks that they said, but, I was sync'ing multiple times a day which wouldn't be helping, so, will be interesting to see when it's only done a couple of times a day or less. A recent firmware update nuked the remaining battery life and forced a recharge off schedule.

I've done my own checks against my Omron cuff, which is largely the same as the reported numbers in the app, I'll likely do another proper calibration in a few days to make sure we are on track.

The one bit that does seem to vary is the finger test. It prompts three times a day to take a finger measurement of your BP, very similar to how the Visible app checks your HRV; pop your finger over your camera lens and it takes a measurement. I'd noted that these readings always looked a bit lower than what the app was reading at around the same time (sometimes it took a proper reading at exactly the same time - I guess because I was totally still), so, compared to my Omron cuff and it was definitely a notable amount lower, so, am skipping that now and will try to find a way to feed back to Hilo to see what they can advise. I guess maybe the BP at the extremity of a finger is potentially different to further up the arm?

I haven't spent much time looking at trends as yet, it's just reassuring to see I'm roughly where I expect to be - am taking Midodrine for POTS so expect to see some increase in BP, but, it's not a huge amount.

Is it worth £200? Not really sure tbh, it's another wearable, but is also another datapoint on a chaotic body and given the meds I'm on, it just gives that reassurance.
 
Mij said:
My GP has recently started taking x3 BP readings in a row. The nurse straps on the cuff, takes the first reading and then leaves the room and tells me to keep the cuff on for #2 and #3 reading.

The first reading was on the higher end, second a little lower and third normal. My GP told me that is normally what they see.
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I always take at least two readings on my left and two on my right but I need to be sitting quietly and comfortably for more than 5 minutes.
At the GP they only take it once, even when I went to the cardiology department at a major hospital. It's mad.

I've worked out one thing about my BP that the doctors have not taken into consideration; it is much higher when I get cold.
It was higher than it should have been early in the year but all this summer it has been fine without any meds.
This wouldn't be obvious by looking at a weeks readings, let alone just one.

(I often also can't get any reading with a finger sp02 monitor when my hands are cold).
 
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