The best way to keep an eye on your blood pressure is to know your numbers. A blood pressure monitor you can use at home allows you to do just that.
Blood pressure, or the force of blood pushing through your arteries, is measured by using two numbers—systolic and diastolic. A systolic reading of no more than 120 mmHg and a diastolic reading of no more than 80 mmHg is considered normal blood pressure.
“For every 20 mmHg increase in systolic [blood pressure] and 10 mmHg increase in diastolic blood pressure above normal, heart disease or stroke risk doubles,” says Achal Sahai, M.D., a cardiologist at the Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute in Jefferson, Louisiana.
Consistently checking blood pressure at home enables people to stay on top of such changes, preventing problems before they occur. “They become more invested in their management and can monitor diet, exercise or pharmaceutical interventions and how they affect their blood pressure,” says Dr. Sahai.
I tested the Omron Platinum Blood Pressure Monitor to determine how helpful it can be as an at-home blood pressure monitor. Here’s what I found.
Omron Healthcare manufactures at-home healthcare products. The company makes blood pressure monitors, as well as digital scales and body composition monitors, pedometers, fitness trackers and other devices.
The Omron Platinum Blood Pressure Monitor is designed specifically for at-home use. It consists of a monitor, blood pressure cuff that fits most adults, an air tube, an AC adapter, four AA batteries and a detailed instruction manual, all packaged in a carrying case.
This product is ideal for someone who wants to monitor their blood pressure either because they’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure or because they may be at risk for the condition. It can store readings for up to two users [100 readings each], making it a great choice for those who live with someone who wants to keep tabs on their blood pressure as well.
The Omron Platinum Blood Pressure Monitor is relatively easy to set up and use. The instruction manual offers a detailed guide on how to use the product. The hardest part is positioning the cuff correctly, but after a few tries, it’s easy to get the hang of it.
Affix the air tube to the unit, position the cuff on your upper arm, sit with your back supported and feet flat on the floor, and press the start button. The cuff inflates automatically and, within a matter of seconds, you have both a blood pressure and pulse reading. It can also detect an irregular heartbeat, which—in addition to high blood pressure—may indicate coronary artery disease, heart valve disorders and other problems.
If your blood pressure is high, the monitor indicates accordingly. The monitor also sends an alert if you average a high weekly morning blood pressure [as morning hypertension may put you at greater risk for heart attack and stroke]. You can also download the Omron Connect app to your smartphone to track your readings in graph or list form.
For this review, I used this Omron blood pressure monitor three times a day for one week. My morning, afternoon and evening readings proved fairly consistent, but a few readings within those time blocks varied by as much as 22 mmHg.
I would sometimes receive an error message even when everything seemed to be working. And when I tried to trigger an error reading on purpose by moving my cuffed arm or talking while the monitor was measuring my blood pressure—two things you’re not supposed to do—the unit continued to work.
Getting your arm squeezed by a blood pressure cuff is never fun, but this one is no more or less painful than others.
In addition to an AC adapter, the blood pressure monitor comes with four AA batteries and a soft-sided carrying case, making it convenient to use on the go. The monitor isn’t sleek, but it’s not so cumbersome that it won’t fit into a suitcase or tote bag.
When you use the device with the Omron Connect app [which is optional], you can see all your blood pressure readings over a given period of time. You can even email the readings to your doctor or show them at your next office visit.
I paid just over $80 for the Omron Platinum Blood Pressure Monitor on Amazon. Many other models are priced under $30, but a few cost more than $100. This Omron blood pressure monitor is one of the more expensive options, but the cost isn’t one I would consider prohibitive.
Omron makes several at-home blood pressure monitors, including a cuff-free option worn like a watch that costs nearly $500. Another monitoring product features built-in EKG capabilities [an EKG records the electrical activity of your heart, highlighting abnormalities that can signal heart problems] and costs about $200. Others that can be worn on the wrist instead of the upper arm range in price from $40 to $80.
Without comparing my at-home blood pressure readings to ones taken by a healthcare professional [which aren’t always accurate, either], it’s hard to judge the accuracy of the Omron Platinum Blood Pressure. But overall, my readings were consistent.
The device was also easy to use, and being able to take several consecutive readings for an average made me more confident that my overall reading was accurate.
You don’t need to download the app to use the blood pressure monitor, but I liked having a handy display of my readings. The app even provided some interesting insights—my evening readings were usually higher than at other times of the day, for example.
Overall, I think the Omron Platinum Blood Pressure Monitor is a solid investment for those interested in keeping track of their blood pressure at home.
Get portability, convenience and peace of mind right out of the box with OMRON’s Platinum wireless blood pressure monitor.
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The OMRON 7 Series Wireless Bluetooth® Wrist home blood pressure monitor will measure, store and let you review 90 readings for one user, and fits adult wrists from 5.3” to 8.5” in circumference.
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$84.00
This product is FSA-eligible, but please check with your FSA provider to confirm its eligibility in your plan. OmronHealthcare.com currently does not accept FSA cards as a method of payment. You will need to submit your order receipt to your FSA plan provider reimbursement. For more information visit OmronHealthcare.com/fsa.
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Features
for quick and quiet measurements that can be taken conveniently and discreetly
helps guide your wrist to heart level, the proper height for consistent and precise readings
stores up to 90 blood pressure readings at a time for one user
to sync to the OMRON Connect app on your iOS® or Android® devices [for a list of compatible devices, visit OmronHealthcare.com/connect] and the OMRON Health skill for Amazon® Alexa®-enabled devices
displays a “HIGH” symbol if your systolic [upper] measurement reaches 130 mmHg or above, and/or if your diastolic [lower] measurement reaches 80 mmHg or above
alerts you if the cuff is wrapped too loosely on your wrist
Make the most out of your devices with OMRON apps. They make it easy to track your health and include features that allow you to view your blood pressure at any time, track your log history and check for patterns, and email data to your family or physicians.
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Model: 4602997-0
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