Arm vs. wrist ambulatory blood pressure monitoring - which is better?

With the increasing popularity and widespread use of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring devices, questions arise about the benefits of the traditional arm and wrist-type blood pressure monitors. upper-arm or wrist ABPM - pros & cons

Convenience

Wrist Pro: no cuff, no problem

Improper cuff selection; the use of cuffs that are too small or too narrow, one of the most frequent cause of blood pressure monitoring errors. Therefore, choosing a cuffless device might help to eliminate this problem.

Upper-arm Pro: easier to use and read

A traditional ambulatory blood pressure monitor has a large LCD screen, which is much easier to see and it has large device buttons, which make it easier to use.

Positioning

It is widely accepted that the farther the point of mesaurement from the heart is, the less representative the pressure measurements are. However, study findings not always justify this approach.

Wrist Pro

While a study published in Blood Press Monit. in February 2013, which the tested a wrist monitor, showed fair agreement with the arm monitor in the ambulatory condition...

Wrist Con

...another study found remarkable difference between upper arm and wrist blood pressure measurement values, and as a conclusion they outlined their strong support of the current recommendations for using upper arm blood pressure measurement whenever possible.

Accuracy

Both traditional upper arm and wirst ambulatory blood pressure monitors must meet strick specifications for accuracy. However, it is remarkable that dabl Educational Trust website, which has the aim to provide consumers with the latest information on the accuracy and performance of blood pressure measuring devices, recommends upper arm ambulatiry blood pressure monitors only.

When wrist blood pressure monitoring is necessary?

Wrist ambulatory blood pressure monitoring can be inevitable when the patient is extreme obese and there is no cuff that could be properly fitted;
or in case of  injuries to the upper arm.

Meditech is one of the worldwide technology leaders in manufacturing of ambulatory blood pressure and Holter ECG monitors.