Jump to content

Personal Hr/bp Monitors


green

Recommended Posts

Does anyone own a personal HR/BP monitor; the kind that attaches to your arm and records your vitals while you go through the motions of daily living? I have been shopping for one, and I've been thinking Omron's HEM-637 ( http://www.omronhealthcare.com/product/det...=1123&t=186 ) because I could use it to track how my stats change over the course of the day. What would be better is a HR/BP monitor that can download a day's recordings onto a computer, that way I could build a database and track correlations between symptoms and HR/BP stats. I think that could help me figure out things like - when and how intensely I should exercise, etc. I'd love to hear what your experiences have been with these devices.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the Prevention WS-820PV very much (I bought it from Amazon).

It's very accurate, unlike many wrist monitors, and has a memory function. However, you would have to record/chart the readings manually in an Excel file, or something similar.

I'm not sure what you are looking for, though - these monitors do not give you a continuous reading, and won't read your blood pressure unless you're perfectly still. They're also very position sensitive (they must be held on the same level as your heart).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the Omron HEM-650 (wrist strap), and it's... finicky.

It is really particular about how you hold your arm, and will complain a lot. It also isn't very good at taking readings when your stats change a lot (especially BP). It errors out when you have a VT or PVC during the reading, too. It even errors out if you have a noisy murmur/vibration.

However, that being said... the BP/HR readings that do come through on me are accurate, and were confirmed in my doctor's office. It just doesn't like it when conditions aren't perfect, and will complain. I used it to monitor my BP/HR for my doctor while I was titrating my beta blocker. I only use it when I'm on the treadmill, now.

I'm also surprised how long the batteries have lasted in it.

Cam

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for the responses!

I want a HR/BP monitor to see if there is a correlation between my OI symptoms and low blood pressure, and to see how much my stats change over the course of the day. But, if the monitors tend to be fickle then I'm not sure how much good they would be and whether they'd offer much of an advantage over my current method of monitoring my stats - which is to use an old-fashioned pneumatic pump-cuff w/ stethoscope that I bought from Walgreens for 20 $.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, Try searching for a monitor used for stress testing or an ambulatory (24 hour) blood pressure monitor. (The only thing is I believe they are pretty pricey) Suntec, lifesource are some of the brands that carry a few. I think they are used in ambulances and helicopters... or by doctors who need to do a 24 hour monitor...? You could also try searching exercise blood pressure monitors- they are more reasonably priced (but i don't know if they are too picky or not...they might just end up being your everyday average home monitor) Just a few ideas, hope they help..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

As far as BP/HR monitors go... You can do a search of previous posts, because there has been many on the topic. Some are more on the wristwatches like POLAR that just take HR others are on BP type machines. I have a Omron HEM-650. It also has a memory function. It seems perfectly fine for what I want it to do. It does have the system that it beeps until you find the right height for the machine in reference to your heart to increase the accuracy of the reading.

I wasn't sure what you meant about being able to wear it around on a daily basis? For one thing most if not all of these monitors to get a BP reading you have to be standing still. It does not take it continously, and you do have to stop to take it. Also, it is pretty bulky and fits snuggly on the wrist, so I know I wouldn't want to wear it around all day. It hurts my wrist just to take a reading, to wear it would be impossible for me.

Some have also discussed using the small portable finger tip pulse ox machines to get more of a continous HR reading without wearing the watch. I think that I am most interested in this way of tracking HR. If I ever have money to spend on this kind of thing, it is on my list. :blink:

Hope that helps in your search!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My very old wrist cuff starting getting flaky this morning so I also bought one of the Omron cuffs (Omron HEM-637). It was between that and the epulse whch looked really good but at $119 was a bit too pricey. Then I saw this continuous heart rate deviced Mark of Fitness MF-180 Exercise/Heart Rate Monitor for only $75 at Amazon. I was really tempted ... but couldn't tell if it would pick up my heart rate on my cold fingers! So I played it safe with the Omron. If anyone tries the Mark of Fitness MF-180 Exercise/Heart Rate Monitor let us know!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought the OMRON HEM-670IT wrist bp monitor about a month ago and love it. It has a positioning system so that you are sure you are getting an accurate reading. It also has software that allows you to download your vital readings directly from the monitor. The software can export the readings to a pdf file or a csv (readable by Excel) file, and it also shows graphs of your heart rate and blood pressure over time.

Here's the link to the Product Information

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...