Category: News
The Importance of Accurate Blood Pressure Measurement
The most important commonly performed office test is blood pressure measurement, yet it is considerably undervalued. In the Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) Region, more than 2,300,000 blood pressure measurements were obtained by office staff in March 2009.
Your Blood Pressure Reading May Be Wrong
Are you a victim of white-coat syndrome? Turns out, getting your blood pressure checked every time you go to the doctor could lead to false positives, finds new research in the Annals of Family Medicine.
5 errors that are giving you incorrect blood pressure
Controversy erupted last year when revised guidelines increased thresholds for diagnosing and treating hypertension[1].
Nurses and physicians often argue over differences between arterial line and non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) cuff readings. To make the best use of blood pressure monitoring equipment, it is helpful to have an insight into how the equipment works and the likely sources of error that can affect readings.
Yoghurt a day ‘cuts risk of high blood pressure’
Eating a small pot of yoghurt a day can cut the chance of having high blood pressure by a third, a study suggests.
Home checks for high blood pressure
Patients suspected of having high blood pressure are to be given home monitoring devices over fears millions have been misdiagnosed because they were simply nervous in the doctor’s surgery.
Patients could have to buy own blood pressure kits
Patients could be asked to buy their own blood pressure monitors because only a minority of GP surgeries have home measurement devices, an expert has warned.
Millions of high blood pressure patients are wrongly diagnosed
Currently, anyone suspected of having high blood pressure is diagnosed by a GP with an inflatable arm cuff. Doctors then call the patient back for additional readings, but these are always taken at their surgery or in hospital.