Blood Pressure monitors - testing and measuring

Menzies researchers discovered that most blood pressure devices, and all the wrist-band wearable (cuff-less) devices, available for purchase online in Australia have not undergone rigorous testing to ensure they are properly validated and accurate.

In this study, only 7% of the 972 models of blood pressure devices available for online purchase in Australia had been validated. These findings have major implications for best-practice care of people related to high blood pressure, where measurement accuracy is of vital importance for correct diagnosis and care.

The team also examined the online global marketplace, with similar findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). In another study also published in JAMA, they found that non-validated devices were being bought by consumers globally, and these devices were cheaper than properly validated devices. This work received the prestigious Austin Doyle Award at the 2022 International Society of Hypertension Scientific Meeting (Japan).

The Menzies research on this topic is cited in the 2023 World Health Organization Global Report on Hypertension and has informed a policy statement of the World Hypertension League, an international organization dedicated to the global prevention of hypertension.

The research has also been adopted into regulatory policy of the Pan American Health Organization ensuring that only validated (accurate) blood pressure devices are marketed and used within the HEARTS cardiovascular risk management model of care in the Americas.

Resources to help people find properly validated blood pressure devices have been developed by Menzies. These are endorsed by national and international organisations, reproduced in 16 languages and housed on the website of the World Hypertension League as a tool for clinicians, patients and researchers.

How to check if a blood pressure monitor has been tested for accuracy

Before purchasing a blood pressure device people should check it has been validated. Only those automatic blood pressure monitors that have passed rigorous accuracy testing, meaning they are ‘validated’, should be used to measure blood pressure.

Unfortunately, most automatic blood pressure monitors on the market have not undergone such testing and are said to be ‘non-validated’. Nonvalidated monitors are more likely to be inaccurate. There are potentially serious consequences of inaccurate measurements including missed high blood pressure, which means people might go without potentially life-saving medication.

Before buying or using an automatic blood pressure monitor, it should be checked to determine if it is validated.

To help people check whether an automatic blood pressure monitor has been validated, our researchers have developed the following resource, which is available in English and several other languages.

Measuring blood pressure at home

Many factors can influence the reliability of home blood pressure measurements. To ensure minimal errors in home blood pressure readings people must follow a standardised measurement approach. The below resources explain the optimal measurement method and provide practical tips: