BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – A 10-year study by Bloomington, Minn.-based HealthPartners concludes that blood pressure measurements taken by the traditional method using a stethoscope are more than 4 percentage points lower than measurements with modern, automated equipment.
Lead author on the study, Dr. Thomas Kottke, says a reading 4 points lower than actual blood pressure is a problem and can mean the difference between having a stroke and not having a stroke, or having a heart attack versus not having one.
Kottke recommends all doctor’s offices and clinics switch to automated blood pressure equipment, which he says gives more reliable readings.
He also says automated blood pressure devices designed for home use are actually preferable to a single doctor’s office visit because a person can take readings more often in a more relaxed setting.
