Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitors - An Introduction

 

An ambulatory blood pressure monitor is a small, portable device worn on the belt, and attached to an upper-arm cuff, that takes regular readings during the day. According to the familydoctor.org website:

This machine lets your doctor find out what your blood pressure was every 15 to 30 minutes of a normal day. The information collected by this machine can help you and your doctor see if your blood pressure treatment is working.

Your doctor may want you to use an ambulatory blood pressure monitor for one or more of the following reasons:

* If you have "borderline" high blood pressure
* If you and your doctor can't keep your blood pressure under control
* If you have blood pressure problems caused by your other medicines
* If you are pregnant and have high blood pressure
* If you have fainting spells

iVillage Total Health also carries a detailed introduction to ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

One of the leading manufacturers of blood pressure monitors, A&D Medical, responsible for the LifeSource brand, makes an ambulatory unit, the TM-2430 ambulatory blood pressure monitor (picture). According to a product description:

The A&D Medical Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring System (ABPM) allows health care professionals to automatically monitor a patient’s blood pressure throughout the day. ABPM therapy can help differentiate hypertension from white coat hypertension and the data generated can be used to adjust patient medication levels. This compact monitor has sophisticated tracking capabilities to measure blood pressure and pulse trends.

Another ambulatory unit is the Oscar 2 from SunTech Medical. According to the Gizmag website:

The unit has just received an A/A rating based upon the British Hypertension Society (BHS) protocol as reported in the April 2007 issue of Blood Pressure Monitoring (Goodwin et al., 2007).

The independent evaluation was conducted in the United Kingdom by researchers at James Cook University Hospital. Results showed the Oscar 2 ambulatory blood pressure monitor received an A grade for both systolic and diastolic pressures.

The Oscar 2 ambulatory blood pressure monitor is clinically validated to all three internationally recognized standards: British Hypertension Society (BHS) (A/A), European Society of Hypertension (ESH) International Protocol, and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) SP10. The lightweight design of the Oscar 2 ambulatory blood pressure monitor combined with the comfort of SunTech’s patented Orbit blood pressure cuff dramatically increase patient testing compliance.

An excellent resource is at the website of the dabl Educational Trust, which has published a listing of all available ambulatory blood pressure monitors, together with recommendations.

It is also possible to check Amazon.com for news of new models and the latest prices.

May 31st, 2007

Blood Pressure Resources

Reviews
LifeSource Blood Pressure Monitors
LifeSource UA-767 Auto-Inflate Blood Pressure Monitor
LifeSource UB-328 Wrist Auto Inflate Blood Pressure Monitor
Lumiscope Blood Pressure Monitors
Mark of Fitness Blood Pressure Monitors 
Mark of Fitness MF-81 Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor 
Omron HEM-432 Manual Blood Pressure Monitor
Omron HEM-711AC Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor
Omron HEM-711DLX Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor
Omron HEM-712C Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor
Omron HEM-773AC Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor
Omron HEM-780 Auto-Inflate Blood Pressure Monitor
Omron HEM-790IT Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor
Omron Wrist Blood Pressure Monitors
Panasonic Blood Pressure Monitors
Panasonic EW3111W Precise Logic Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor
RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device
Samsung Blood Pressure Monitors
WrisTech Blood Pressure Monitor

Articles
Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitors - An Introduction
Best Blood Pressure Monitors
Consumer Reports and Blood Pressure Monitors
Guide to Buying the Best Home Blood Pressure Monitor
Home Blood Pressure Monitors - Are They Accurate?
Home Blood Pressure Monitors – Selected Internet Resources
Manual Blood Pressure Monitors
Omron Blood Pressure Monitors - Why Are They So Popular?
Talking Blood Pressure Monitors
Technology Award for LifeSource Telemedicine Blood Pressure Monitors
Welch Allyn Blood Pressure Monitors
Wrist Blood Pressure Monitors - Should I Buy One?