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Author Topic: taking your blood pressure, Mayo clinic suggestion
maggieb
Member
Posts: 1
Post taking your blood pressure, Mayo clinic suggestion
on: March 5, 2010, 15:32

I am signed up for a newsletter from the Mayo Clinic and the recommended procedure for taking blood pressure is three times. The first reading is discarded as it always runs high. The next two are averaged together and that is your blood pressure reading. I had never heard of this before. Just wonder if anyone has a doctor that does this.
Angel
Member
Posts: 10
Post Re: taking your blood pressure, Mayo clinic suggestion
on: March 16, 2010, 01:46

Just came back from my doc and she did not do it this way.

Jackie
Member
Posts: 5
Post Re: taking your blood pressure, Mayo clinic suggestion
on: March 17, 2010, 18:42

i think due to time contraints they only take one reading at doc’s office. Theory is that true blood pressure is between the 2nd & 3rd reading which is why it’s been recommended to take 3 readings throw out the 1st & average your 2nd & 3rd.
JasonMI
Member
Posts: 8
Post Re: taking your blood pressure, Mayo clinic suggestion
on: March 17, 2010, 22:50

I’ve found at the doctor’s office, the nurse who brings me in sometimes doesn’t even elevate my arm, and takes a so-so reading. Only my doctor or PA calmly and correctly take my BP.

zosia
Member
Posts: 2
Post Re: taking your blood pressure, Mayo clinic suggestion
on: May 14, 2010, 15:59

My doc hardly ever takes my BP. She leaves it up to the nurse who has me sitting on the exam table with my feet dangling. I think I’ll take the article to my next visit and give it to tham to brush up on technique.
PFEIFFETTE
Member
Posts: 1
Post Re: taking your blood pressure, Mayo clinic suggestion
on: May 20, 2010, 14:38

I have been in numerous blood pressure studies in the last 18 years & they always took 3 blood pressure readings a few minutes apart & wrote down the average. They also had you sit quietly for 5 minutes, sitting up straight, feet flat on the ground & arm resting on the side table at heart level. They had to follow this criteria as these were the carefully laid out rules for the studies. This is the correct way, but as someone stated earlier, it’s the nurse that takes your pressure when you go see your doctor for a physical. Generally you walk in they have you sit down feet dangling, the nurse slaps the cuff on you while he or she is asking you questions & they get a high reading. Thankfully my doctor takes it again when she comes in & I refuse to speak to her until the reading is over & it’s always lower.

SS
Member
Posts: 2
Post Re: taking your blood pressure, Mayo clinic suggestion
on: June 4, 2010, 11:08

my pcp takes it three times and it gets lower and lower with each try. it’s rather sad that nurses in many offices do it so casually that they might as well not do it at all. My last visit to the gyn, the nurse slapped the cuff over my sweater; my reading was 120/70. She said “perfect” but I knew better. When the doctor came in, I told him that reading was too good to be true and I was right. He took it and it was 150/80. Also my pcp has great faith in anything the Mayo Clinic recommends.
bardun
Member
Posts: 1
Post Re: taking your blood pressure, Mayo clinic suggestion
on: July 21, 2010, 19:23

Recently bought a new Omron bp machine. It has the option of using a three readings feature and then displays the average of the three. Takes a little longer but I really like it.
lookingfeelingood
Member
Posts: 1
Post Re: taking your blood pressure, Mayo clinic suggestion
on: July 27, 2010, 20:46

Interesting! I typically take 3 readings–which I had learned from another source. Have noticed that the 2nd and 3rd readings are almost always lower than the 1st. Could it be that I am progressively more relaxed for the subsequent readings?
raman
Member
Posts: 1
Post Re: taking your blood pressure, Mayo clinic suggestion
on: August 4, 2010, 02:43

I have an Omron Automatic blood pressure monitor at home. Doctors have no faith in such machines. They rely on the older machines with mercury .
How reliable is the now easily available and easily usable machines used at home ?

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