What are the factors that influence my readings?
• Variations in blood pressure. Blood pressure is not a static value and may change with each heartbeat, even while resting. Both your systolic (higher number) and your diastolic (lower number) blood pressure may vary by up to 30 mmHg with each heartbeat in healthy individuals. These variations can be considerably greater in individuals with certain cardiovascular conditions. • Insufficient rest before taking a reading. This is among the most common causes of inaccurate results from self-measurement of blood pressure. If your circulation has not had time to adjust to a steady resting state, the systolic, diastolic and pulse values may vary substantially relative to your normal resting value. This is also true when taking subsequent measurements. • Disruptions during measurement. Abrupt movements, such as coughing, laughing, sneezing and speaking, even activities such as watching television may lead to incorrect readings. Measurements should therefore be carried out under relaxed condit
