Frequently Asked Questions On Wrist Blood Pressure Monitors

The most common cause of high readings when using a wrist blood pressure monitor is because the user does not have the wrist monitor at heart level. There may be actual differences between your blood pressure at the upper arm site and the wrist site.

The cross section of the blood vessels at the wrist is much smaller compared to the blood vessels in the upper arm, so certain blood vessel disorders, such as arteriosclerosis, have a greater effect on the elasticity of the vessel walls. A healthy and elastic artery is a precondition for reliable readings when measuring by the oscillometric method.

The wrist blood pressure monitor can be used on any of the arms. Most people prefer to use it on the wrist of their non-dominant hand. (For example: on the left wrist if they are right-handed and vice versa.)

It is quite possible that blood pressure readings may be different from your upper arm to your wrist as blood pressure varies throughout the human body. Upper arm blood pressure monitors produce more accurate readings as compared to wrist blood pressure monitors because wrist blood pressure monitors are extremely sensitive to the positioning of the wrist.