Blood Pressure Monitor Reading Affected By Altitude?

[newbie99]

Hi.. just wondering anyone could shed some light whether the reading could be affected by as much as 30. I was feeling dizzy at the time and when I measured my BP it was like 115/78. I then checked it on another person and read remarkably low 105/75.

When I returned home my BP measured 159/102. The other person reads 120/82.

I could only put down as altitude affects the reading and this is really concerns me especially I travelled a lot.

The monitor I use is a Omron make and I thought it would have compensated for variation in altitude. Anyone could share their experience please?

Newbie

[Sqad]

I don't quite understand what you mean by "high altitude"
Were you in the mountains, in an aeroplane?
Unless you were very high up e.g 30,000ft i feel that altitude should have very little effect on you BP or your machine.
Are you taking BP tablets?

" 115/78. I then checked it on another person and read remarkably low 105/75. "
Depending upon whether you are taking BP reducing tablets, I wouldn't regard either readings as "remarkably low."

I look forward to a little more information.

[Buenchico]

This question was addressed in a study by Willem Verbek and Stephan Mieke, of the Cardiovascular Research Institute of Maastricht Maastricht University, last year.

They concluded that "based on the technical aspects of oscillometric . . . blood pressure monitors, there is no reason to assume that altitude and/or lower barometric pressure will have any effect on their accuracy"

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5093361/

[newbie99]

Hi ...

I am not on any tablet at the moment as my Dr asked me to monitor my own BP for a week and see how it goes.

The other person is not on BP tablet and should be a 120/80. So I used this person not quickly check out the reading is it my device or my actual BP was low as I was feeling dizzy. When I said high altitude , it is not that I am on a mountain but is considered to be high relative to my home.

When I got home a I measured someting 159/102. I then checked against another device and both results correlates closely.

[Sqad]

O.K so you feel that your dizziness may well have been to your low BP as when you checked it again it was relatively high.
I agree....your assumptions may be correct and i also agree with your GP that you should monitor your BP for a week or so, which leaves us with the question "what was the cause of your lowered BP and dizziness?"
Monitor the situation, as it has nothing to do with your BP machines.

[newbie99]

Thanks for all your reply.

[NoMercy]

Your "remarkably low" BP is higher than mine. Mine is typically around 100/67mmHg but upon admission to hospital last year it was only 85/53mmHg.

Fortunately I am seldom symptomatic of this.

Dizziness is also commonly linked to inner ear problems.