Blood pressure monitor and AF?

[Valdoot]

Hi my GP advised me to buy a blood pressure monitor. In the instructions it says not to use if you have AF?? I have Parox AF. I don’t know what to do? Any advice pls? Thankyou

[Bshersey]

I find my BP monitor pretty useless if I am in AF. People seem to like the Kardia EKG. I don't have one.

[Valdoot in reply to Bshersey]

Thankyou

[kkatz in reply to Valdoot]

I have a BP monitor that shows irregular heartbeat & so far it has proved quite accurate in the IR respect. Like you I have paroxysmal AF.what it doesn't do is record the lower reading correctly when in AF.this caused me a panic visit to the docs.

It is a reasonably priced Lloyds pharmacy item.it also keeps 2 X 60 readings in memory.

Hope this helps.

[Meeko in reply to Bshersey]

Kardia doesn't measure blood pressure

[BobD Volunteer]

For sure it will give wrong reading s if you are in AF. Does your GP want a weekly chart of something like that? It should read OK if you are in normal synus rhythm (NSR)and I'm sure you can tell the difference. It isn't anything sinister about NOT using it with AF just it wont read correctly.

[IanMK in reply to BobD]

Hi Bob

Please can you explain. My Kardia monitors my 'electrical pulse rate' in AF while my Fitbit records my lower 'mechanical pulse rate'. I had an ablation earlier this week and my BP was monitored regularly by the medical staff.

[Valdoot in reply to BobD]

Thanks BobD. No they just advised me to keep an eye on my BP. My HRates all over the place today but at around 60bpm. I feel tired and was a bit teary this morning. It read my Bp ok tho I think. 113/69. Heart rate was 82 this morning so alls good. It’s just jumping around really irregular. Suppose that why I feel rough. I’m still new to this even tho I’ve had it 2 yrs, because luckily I’ve had very few episodes. Thanks BobD

[doodle68]

Hi Valdoot you say...

''Hi my GP advised me to buy a blood pressure monitor. In the instructions, it says not to use if you have AF?? I have Parox AF.''

I guess the manufacturers of the monitor are just covering themselves because BP readings can be inaccurate when you are in AF. Instructions for many things are often poorly written.

I have to monitor and log my blood pressure regularly having been diagnosed with high blood as well as P-AF , my Omron BP monitor is very good and notes when my heart rate is 'irregular'. It is the same one the GP's surgery uses .

[Valdoot in reply to doodle68]

Thanks for your answer. Your right, probably the instructions arnt clear. It’s worth keeping I’m sure now. Thankyou 🙂

[diannetrussell in reply to doodle68]

Hi Doodle68, which model of Omron are you using? I was going to buy the Omron HCG801, only to discover that they are discontinuing it. Something to do with re-designing so it can be all bluetooth-connected....

[doodle68 in reply to diannetrussell]

Hi dianne it’s the omron M3

[diannetrussell in reply to doodle68]

Thanks, I haven't come across that one before....

[Cat04]

I am the same at doodle68, PAF and high BP. I use an Omron upstairs and a Boots monitor downstairs and both are useful in recording BP when not in AF and also record/show 'irregular heartbeat' when in AF. Both really useful.

[Mike11]

Use a wrist one and you'll find it evens out the variation due to AF better. I don't think the absolute numbers are what your doctor wants, just the trends and variations across the day so keep a good record of results.

[wilsond]

You should be seen within 12 weeks for initial consultation,then depends on what is your condition and treatment plan.Waiting times for treatment vary a lot!

Best wishes

[Riever]

Hi Valdoot. My Boots BP monitor kept giving me an error message so I went out and bought another one- Medisana (German - must be good!). This one read my BP ok but warned me that my pulse was irregular. Apparently that’s what the Boots machine error message meant. The hospital doctor explained to me that these machines use the pulse in some way to measure your BP so may not work every time if you have AF. However it’s worth trying as they are so easy and convenient to use. She said if all else failed I’d have go to my GP to get my BP measured using the old mechanical hand pump device. However I am a managing to measure my body every day with my new Medisana machineeven though I now have permanent AF.

[momist]

The problem revolves around what is being measured here. Regarding the pulse monitors, those with an LED light and a light sensor (like Fitbit) measure the slight increase in pinkness of the skin as the pulse of blood pressure passes through the capillaries under the skin. This happens in response to the pulse of pressure of a normal heart beat. When in AF, the heart is beating out of rhythm, and not always when the Atrium has filled with blood and is passing this charge on to the ventricle. Therefore, the heart beats, but doesn't actually pump anything or pumps just a little. Mobile phone apps using the camera work the same way.

The Kardia detects the electrical activity of the heart (down your arms if using it normally), so this will show those beats that are ineffective, as well as the working ones.

From this, you can deduce why the blood pressure monitor also has problems. I don't know the ins and outs of how they work, but the automatic electronic ones with a cuff can measure the pressure during the height of the beat and compare it with the pressure in between. The problem is that when in AF the in-between period will have some half-hearted beats and some empty ones, and this confuses the system.

My GP has recently started using the old stethoscope and mercury manometer on cuff method for BP, instead of the electronic automatic things. I suspect that is because they are aware of the problem for anyone who might have AF.

[Polski]

We need to clearly distinguish between heart rate and blood pressure. A Kardia measures heart rate, and so will tell you when you are in AF etc, more accurately than anything else which we patients have available to us. Blood pressure is a different thing, and when we are in AF it can only be read accurately using the old stethoscope method, as anything else gets confused by 'missing' beats etc.

I do wonder if the doctor was actually asking for blood pressure readings, or heart rate readings. Keeping the heart rate above 50 but below 100 or 120 ensures we can feel good (ie above 50), but also that the AF isn't putting excessive strain on the heart (ie below 120).

[seasider18 in reply to Polski]

I have a pulse oximeter as well as my BP monitor. If I use both at the same time the oximeter gives a much lower hear rate reading. In fact it sometimes shows in the 50's when my pacemaker would have kicked in

[KMRobbo]

What make is it? I have an omron m6 intelligence with a pc link so you can upload the data. It measures if you have arrhythmia and advises of it. The HR reading will be incorrect when in afib or flutter. My actual HR in flutter was so.etimesx TWICE the omron reading. I sexoect the BP readings themselves can be suspect too otherwise the omron is good

[Hidden]

Im a retired RN and have a digital bp machine that is fine. When Im having a bad a fib episode the heart rate is not reliable and sometimes it cant get my bp and reads error. For those times I listen and count my heart rate with my stethescope.

[seasider18]

I have two Omron BP monitors. This was their reply when I queried their ability to cope with my AF:

"We can never guarantee readings with this condition, however newer models with irregular heartbeat detection do a much better job of getting a reading with someone who has arrhythmia.

The M4 won't due to it's age whereas the MIT Elite does, this is why there is an error on the M4.

While the beep is a useful feature, bumping the cuff or moving the body can make it beep also.

The gold standard for someone with arrhythmia is doing it manually, you can then compare with the MIT Elite to confirm the accuracy"

I liked the initial one with the beep as I could hear the pauses and fluctuations in my heart rate. When I mentioned this to my GP he said that they had to stop using that type as it frightened the patients.

The consultant at the Hypertension Centre told me to take four readings with my MIT Elite over a ten minute period and only to believe them if three are similar in range.

It does give quite a few error messages but so do the hospital 24 hour monitors when used on me. They have several error code numbers and I looked at their makers web site

to see what they indicated.

[Flyer2820]

Hi Valdoot

After a great deal of research, I bought the Omron M3 intellisence automatic blood pressure monitor. It has never been wrong in finding out if my heart rate is irregular and shows it with a sign of a 💓 . It always shows my heart rate even if it is high and irregular. My cardiologist and doctor were both pleased with my documentation of my af. The Omron is the ones used in the hospitals and doctors. It cost me £40 from Amazon and has been money well spent. Of course it doesn't stop my paf but it does detect it well. I also have a finger monitor which shows my heart rate going up and down when in af . again well worth having.

Best regards Flyer.

[doodle68 in reply to Flyer2820]

Hi flyer I have that model too and find it very reliable,