How to measure blood pressure

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Are you sure you know how to measure blood pressure correctly?

The AMICOMED service’s indications are only as accurate as the measurements you enter. In this article, you can find some general tips on how to measure your blood pressure correctly (relative to the most common method of an arm cuff blood pressure monitor). We recommend, however, that you always refer to the instructions of your specific monitor provided by the manufacturer.

How to measure blood pressure correctly:

  • Do not focus on a single measurement: what counts is not the single value but your blood pressure trend.
  • You should be sat comfortably at the time of the measurement, in a calm environment, with a comfortable temperature and you should be relaxed for about five minutes prior to the measurement.
  • The results of your measurement may be influenced by meals or physical activity; we therefore recommend that you wait at least an hour after these events to measure your blood pressure.
  • Do not consume beverages containing caffeine for one hour, or smoke for 15 minutes prior to measuring your blood pressure (we remind you that smoking is one of the main factors associated with blood pressure alteration).
  • Your arm should be resting on a flat surface and the arm cuff should be at the same level as your heart. It does not matter which arm you use, but if there is a difference in the blood pressure values measured in the two arms, you should measure blood pressure on the arm that shows higher values.
  • Once seated, rest your arm on a flat surface such as a desk or table, with your palm facing upwards, place the cuff on your bare arm, about 2-3 cm above the elbow, with the tube in the center of the arm and aligned with the middle finger.

We remind you that in general your blood pressure will be lower in the summer (when it is warmer) and higher during the winter (when it is colder).

If you are measuring your own blood pressure, remember to use a CE marked medical device validated by the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and follow the indications provided by the manufacturer. The AMICOMED service is based on the ESH and SIIA (Italian Society of Hypertension) guidelines, therefore we cannot guarantee the reliability of its responses if you blood pressure monitor does not meet these standards.

Now that you know how to measure your blood pressure correctly all that is left is to monitor your blood pressure with the help of AMICOMED!