Maintaining an ideal blood pressure is key to leading a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, monitoring your pressure on a regular basis can save your life. According to Joyce M. Oen-Hsiao, MD, medical director of the cardiac telemetry unit at the Yale New Haven Hospital’s Heart and Vascular Center “Long-standing high blood pressure can cause damage to the small vessels in your body and also cause the heart to thicken and stiffen,” she explains. “Checking your blood pressure can help you and your doctor figure out if you need medications or that your medications are working.”

A recent study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that people who have high blood pressure, or hypertension, before age 40 are at an increased risk of heart disease later in life. So it’s never too early to start taking a series of easy, accurate readings and monitoring your blood pressure.

Currently there exist various types of blood pressure machines some of which can be used safely at home. Maybe your blood pressure has been creeping up over time, or you’re starting treatment for hypertension. So your doctor suggests you buy a home blood pressure monitor to help keep track between office visits. Simple enough, right

BP Machine Price in Kenya

The price of a BP machine in Kenya is Ksh. 3500 for basic wrist type monitors such as Omron M1 Blood Pressure Monitor and Ksh. 6000 for upper arm type of monitors such as Omron M3 monitor. These make blood pressure monitoring at home easy.

You can order the Omron M1 Blood Pressure Machine (wrist type) here or the Omron M3 BP Machine (Upper Arm type) here. Each come as a blood pressure monitoring kit. Omron M3 is the best blood Pressure Machine in Kenya.

Factors to Consider Before Acquiring a BP Machine

1.Size of the Cuff

The size of the cuff is the most important feature to check when you’re selecting a BP Machine.

The size relates to the circumference of your upper arm. A cuff that does not fit properly on your arm may give you inaccurate readings.

The 2017 High Blood Pressure Clinical Practice Guidelines recommends the following sizes: 

• Adult small: Arm circumference of 22 to 26 centimeters
• Adult average: Arm circumference of 27 to 34 centimeters
• Adult large: Arm circumference of 35 to 44 centimeters

It is thus important to know the size of your arm.

2. Choose Upper Arm Cuffs instead of Wrist Cuffs

No matter where you buy your blood pressure monitor, we recommend getting a monitor with an automatic cuff that wraps around your upper arm. It’s called a brachial blood pressure monitor.   A good one is the Omron M3 BP Machine.

Wrist and finger monitors are not recommended because they yield less reliable readings.

Don’t get a BP monitor where you will need a stethoscope. An automatic cuff is best. And if you’re over age 50, avoid cuffs that go around your wrist. Wrist cuffs are likely fine if you’re under 50 as recommended by medics.

3. Keep the Cost in Check

Forget the exaggerated adverts, they boost the cost of the monitor and are often unnecessary.

Sure, Bluetooth connectivity and storing your readings online are cool features, but you don’t really need them.

You shouldn’t have to pay more than Ksh. 3500 to Ksh. 6500 for an appropriate, doctor-approved blood pressure monitor that will do the job just fine.

4. Avoid Phone Apps

If you look at any app store, you’re likely to find dozens of blood pressure measurement apps for your smartphone. These don’t work and have not been rigorously tested.

Certain apps claim to measure your blood pressure through pulse wave velocity, which essentially looks at the wave form in the artery of your finger.

But those are usually inaccurate. The last thing you want is to obtain false information and be falsely scared — or falsely reassured — about your blood pressure numbers.

5. Check the Accuracy of the BP Machine

Most monitors you find in a drugstore or online are fine. But it doesn’t hurt to take it to your doctor’s office and check yours against the office monitor.

If the systolic blood pressure (the top number) on your cuff is within 10 points of the monitor, then it’s generally accurate.

Most home blood pressure machines last for about two or three years. After that, check it at your doctor’s office annually to make sure it’s still accurate.

6. Take Three Readings

There’s one extra feature you might consider to help boost a monitor’s accuracy: taking three measurements automatically.

Some monitors do this each time you check your blood pressure. They take a first reading; wait 30 to 60 seconds and take a second reading; then wait 30 to 60 more seconds, and take a final measurement.

This is helpful because it averages your three readings, which probably more closely reflects your actual blood pressure than the first number alone.

Now you’re ready to wade in and find the blood pressure monitor that’s right for you — without all the stress of selection overload.

Where to Buy BP Machines in Kenya

If you are wondering where to find blood pressure machine for sale in Kenya, they are readily available here at Medistus Limited (a leading a medical equipment supplier in Kenya). It is based in Nairobi but delivers countrywide.

Bottom Line

The cost BP machines vary depending on the model, type (wrist or upper arm) and features. Common blood pressure monitors in Kenya retail between ksh. 3500 to 6500 . For home monitoring we recommend the upper arm BP machines, like Omron M3 Blood Pressure , which are more accurate than the wrist type.  This Blood Monitor is available at here at Medistus Limited. However, the upper arm type usually cost more than the wrist.

If you are working on a tight budget you can still go the wrist type blood pressure monitors such as the Omron M1 Basic Blood Pressure Monitor. It is highly recommended that after acquiring this blood pressure monitor one should test its accuracy against a doctor’s machine by comparing the reading between the two at a specific time.

That is basically a significant portion of what you need to know about the price of Digital Blood Pressure Machine in Kenya.