Wrist blood pressure monitors: Are they accurate?

How accurate are wrist blood pressure monitors sold in stores? Mine consistently shows a lower blood pressure reading than that taken by my doctor.

- Allen / Thailand

Answer

Wrist blood pressure monitors can be accurate if used exactly as directed. However, these devices are extremely sensitive to body position. To get an accurate reading when taking your blood pressure with a wrist monitor, your arm and wrist must be at heart level. Also, there are wrist monitors now available that will only record a measurement when the monitor is held at heart level.

It's not uncommon for blood pressure readings taken at home to be different from those taken at your doctor's office. Wrist blood pressure monitors are difficult to validate for accuracy. I would suggest taking your wrist blood pressure monitor to your doctor and checking your blood pressure sequentially with both a standard upper-arm monitor and a wrist monitor in the correct position in the same arm at the same visit.

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