Kardia vs. Boots Blood pressure Monitor.

[Dozer5]

Kardia vs. Boots Blood pressure Monitor.

A bit confused here - my Kardia keeps telling me I'm in 'Possible Atrial Fibrillation' recording heart rates above 100bpm whereas my Boots Blood Pressure monitor tells me my heart rate is under 100bpm. I suffer from ectopic beats but the simple a tried method of two fingers reading my pulse at my wrist indicates the same as the Boots heart rate monitor. Can anybody shed any light on these different readings? Many thanks

[CDreamer]

The Kardia will give you an accurate reading of HR - average over the 30 sec trace - whereas your BP machine will only take a snapshot and that could be anywhere in the cycle.

AF is an erratic heart rate so you need an average which is what the Kardia will give you.

[baba]

The Kardia will be more accurate than a blood pressure monitor.

[jeanjeannie50]

Try taking your pulse via your neck, at the side, towards the front, you'll feel a groove there under the jawbone. This will definitely tell you exactly what your heart rate is. Sometimes what you can feel in your wrist is not correct, especially if your heart is beating fast.

Your BP monitor will not give you an accurate reading if you are in AF. Kardia readings are usually correct.

Jean

[johnMiosh]

They are measuring two different things. The BP Meter is measuring occurrences of blood flow. The Kardia is measuring electrical activity. In a their own way both are correct. BP machine is measuring the number of pulses you get, but the Kardia is measuring the number your heart is trying to make. In fast AF not all beats are successful in pumping enough blood to be detected by your BP meter.

[dmac4646 in reply to johnMiosh]

T he BP machines should stop claiming to show irregular heart beats they do nothing of the sort.

[johnMiosh in reply to dmac4646]

I currently have no AF, but I do experience some ectopics. My BP meter recognises these, the red pulse light is shows the irregularity. The big problem with home bp meters is that they give inaccurate results when in AF.

[LaceyLady in reply to johnMiosh]

Depending on your machine, I have an Omron which takes BP for AF

[Buffafly in reply to johnMiosh]

That is an excellent reply, I have tried unsuccessfully to explain the same thing to other people so would you mind if I copy it? (I’ll give you credit of course 😀)

[Melchet]

Two different things happening. The Kardia is picking up the electrical signals governing the heart rate. The Boots BP monitor is picking up the mechanical response of the heart and blood distribution system.

With AF, the electrical signals driving the heart become irregular and the heart is unable to run smoothly and efficiently. Under these conditions, HR measurement by Kardia ECG is more accurate than mechanical measurement by a blood pressure monitor.

[LaceyLady]

Try taking the blood pressure reading 3 times. I have an Omron Bp machine that takes BP’s specifically for AF, ie x 3.You will find the Kardia is more accurate