24 Hour Blood Pressure Monitors – Good, Better, Best
24-hour BPMs are set up to automatically measure your patients’ blood pressure at regular intervals, find the best for your practice.
24-hour BPMs are set up to automatically measure your patients’ blood pressure at regular intervals throughout the day, so that their average blood pressure can be calculated.
Also known as ambulatory blood pressure monitors (ABPM), these devices are designed in such a way to allow patients to go about their usual day-to-day (excluding water-based activities).
This data can then be stored for future analysis and used to determine the best course of action.
To deliver optimal performance, the pros and cons of different 24-hour ABPM devices should be considered.
What is ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and how does it work?
ABPM involves fitting a patient with a blood pressure cuff that is wrapped around their arm and connected to a small device on a belt or strap worn on their body for 24 hours.
Like most non-invasive automated BPM devices, it uses the oscillometric method which relies on detection of variations in pressure oscillations due to arterial wall movement beneath an occluding cuff. Empirically derived algorithms are employed, which calculate systolic, mean arterial and diastolic blood pressure.
Advantages of ambulatory BPM include that it is mercury-free, lightweight, designed for clinical use and records 24-hour blood pressure.
Measuring blood pressure on one occasion may suggest high blood pressure (hypertension) but measuring it regularly over a 24-hour period is the gold standard for diagnosing hypertension.
Why might 24-hour blood pressure monitoring be needed?
Reasons you might consider a patient for ABPM monitoring include:
- To confirm a diagnosis of hypertension.
- To identify how changes in your blood pressure relate to your daily activities and sleep patterns.
- To see how well your blood pressure medication is controlling your high blood pressure.
- To identify changes in your BPM readings in your practice versus at the patient’s home.
How to find the best 24-Hour Blood Pressure Monitors for your practice
There are many 24-hour ABPM monitors in the market, each with their own advantages.
Here are Henry Schein Medical’s three top recommendations, from entry level ABPM to premium quality devices.
TM-2440 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor
- Compact and lightweight 24-hour blood pressure monitor allows comfortable and discrete wear for long periods of time.
- Oscillometric measuring method. Irregular heartbeat detection (IHB).
- USB cable data output to computer or printer.
- OLED ambulatory monitoring display. Dimensions: (W)66 x (H)24.5 x (D)95mm. Weight: 122g.
TM-2440 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor
- Compact and lightweight 24-hour blood pressure monitor allows comfortable and discrete wear for long periods of time.
- Oscillometric measuring method. Irregular heartbeat detection (IHB).
- USB cable data output to computer or printer.
- OLED ambulatory monitoring display. Dimensions: (W)66 x (H)24.5 x (D)95mm. Weight: 122g.
ABPMpro 24-Hour Classic Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor
- Compact and easy-to-use, long-term blood pressure monitor that provides higher diagnostic value by simultaneously recording actigraphy, body position and heart rate.
- Device slides directly on to the cuff with no tube needed. Allows for the detection of physical and psychological stress.
- Correlation of blood pressure to activity (during the day) and body position (at night). Sleep-wake-estimation, precise classification of dipping/non-dipping.
- Back-up measurement during deflation if some artefacts occur during inflation. Increased information due to twice the number of measurement values.
- Graphical display of inflation/deflation process in the software.
- With external sensors, this can be upgradeable to a Holter ECG for continuous blood pressure measurement based on the Pulse Transit Time.
ABPMpro 24-Hour Classic Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor
- Compact and easy-to-use, long-term blood pressure monitor that provides higher diagnostic value by simultaneously recording actigraphy, body position and heart rate.
- Device slides directly on to the cuff with no tube needed. Allows for the detection of physical and psychological stress.
- Correlation of blood pressure to activity (during the day) and body position (at night). Sleep-wake-estimation, precise classification of dipping/non-dipping.
- Back-up measurement during deflation if some artefacts occur during inflation. Increased information due to twice the number of measurement values.
- Graphical display of inflation/deflation process in the software.
- With external sensors, this can be upgradeable to a Holter ECG for continuous blood pressure measurement based on the Pulse Transit Time.
ABPM 7100 24-Hour with Central Blood Pressure Analysis
- Easy-to-use 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor designed to help avoid the effects of white coat hypertension, provide accurate sleep blood pressure readings, and tailor drug therapy regimes to your individual patient's needs.
- Lightweight, compact and quiet for improved patient compliance.
- Auto Feedback Logic during cuff inflation, which reduces over-inflation and provides excellent patient comfort and acceptance.
ABPM 7100 24-Hour with Central Blood Pressure Analysis
- Easy-to-use 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor designed to help avoid the effects of white coat hypertension, provide accurate sleep blood pressure readings, and tailor drug therapy regimes to your individual patient's needs.
- Lightweight, compact and quiet for improved patient compliance.
- Auto Feedback Logic during cuff inflation, which reduces over-inflation and provides excellent patient comfort and acceptance.
