How accurate are the blood pressure machines in grocery stores and drugstores?

Answer From Rekha Mankad, M.D.

Public blood pressure kiosk machines, such as those found in pharmacies, may provide helpful information about your blood pressure. But public blood pressure machines can have limitations too. Their accuracy depends on many things, including correct cuff size and proper use. Ask your health care provider for advice on using public blood pressure machines.

It's important that the blood pressure cuff fits you well. The cuff is the band that goes around the upper arm. The cuffs on some public blood pressure machines may be too small or too large for some people. Using a blood pressure cuff that's too large or too small may give you an inaccurate blood pressure reading. So, you might think your blood pressure is fine when it's not.

Some machines measure blood pressure using a wrist cuff. A wrist blood pressure device may be as accurate as an upper arm monitor, but it needs to be fitted properly and checked with readings taken in a provider's office. A wrist blood pressure monitor must be placed directly over the wrist (radial) artery to get an accurate reading. The wrist must be positioned at heart level. Flexing the wrist can cause incorrect readings.

Another concern is that some public blood pressure machines aren't standardized, which makes it hard to know how accurate they are.

It's best to have your blood pressure checked by a trained health care provider using an accurate instrument. When considering if you have low or high blood pressure, your provider should consider the average of two or more blood pressure readings from three or more office visits.

If you need more frequent blood pressure checks, your health care provider can tell you how to monitor your blood pressure at home. Home blood pressure monitoring can be a convenient way to get regular blood pressure readings. Ask your provider to check your device for a proper fit and accuracy.

Don't stop or change your medications or alter any diet changes you've made without talking to your provider first, even if your home readings seem OK. Grocery store and pharmacy testing and home blood pressure monitoring aren't substitutes for regular health checkups.

With

Rekha Mankad, M.D.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

April 28, 2022 See more Expert Answers

See also

  1. Medication-free hypertension control
  2. Alcohol: Does it affect blood pressure?
  3. Alpha blockers
  4. Amputation and diabetes
  5. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
  6. Angiotensin II receptor blockers
  7. Anxiety: A cause of high blood pressure?
  8. Arteriosclerosis / atherosclerosis
  9. Artificial sweeteners: Any effect on blood sugar?
  10. AskMayoMom Pediatric Urology
  11. Beta blockers
  12. Beta blockers: Do they cause weight gain?
  13. Beta blockers: How do they affect exercise?
  14. Birth control pill FAQ
  15. Blood glucose meters
  16. Blood glucose monitors
  17. Blood pressure: Can it be higher in one arm?
  18. Blood pressure chart
  19. Blood pressure cuff: Does size matter?
  20. Blood pressure: Does it have a daily pattern?
  21. Blood pressure: Is it affected by cold weather?
  22. Blood pressure medication: Still necessary if I lose weight?
  23. Blood pressure medications: Can they raise my triglycerides?
  24. Blood pressure readings: Why higher at home?
  25. Blood pressure test
  26. Blood pressure tip: Get more potassium
  27. Blood sugar levels can fluctuate for many reasons
  28. Blood sugar testing: Why, when and how
  29. Bone and joint problems associated with diabetes
  30. How kidneys work
  31. Bump on the head: When is it a serious head injury?
  32. Caffeine and hypertension
  33. Calcium channel blockers
  34. Calcium supplements: Do they interfere with blood pressure drugs?
  35. Can whole-grain foods lower blood pressure?
  36. Central-acting agents
  37. Choosing blood pressure medicines
  38. Chronic daily headaches
  39. Chronic kidney disease
  40. Chronic kidney disease: Is a clinical trial right for me?
  41. Coarctation of the aorta
  42. COVID-19: Who's at higher risk of serious symptoms?
  43. Cushing syndrome
  44. DASH diet
  45. DASH diet: Recommended servings
  46. Sample DASH menus
  47. Diabetes
  48. Diabetes and depression: Coping with the two conditions
  49. Diabetes and exercise: When to monitor your blood sugar
  50. Diabetes and heat
  51. 10 ways to avoid diabetes complications
  52. Diabetes diet: Should I avoid sweet fruits?
  53. Diabetes diet: Create your healthy-eating plan
  54. Diabetes foods: Can I substitute honey for sugar?
  55. Diabetes and liver
  56. Diabetes management: How lifestyle, daily routine affect blood sugar
  57. Diabetes symptoms
  58. Diabetes treatment: Can cinnamon lower blood sugar?
  59. Using insulin
  60. Diuretics
  61. Diuretics: A cause of low potassium?
  62. Diuretics: Cause of gout?
  63. Dizziness
  64. Do infrared saunas have any health benefits?
  65. Drug addiction (substance use disorder)
  66. Eating right for chronic kidney disease
  67. High blood pressure and exercise
  68. Fibromuscular dysplasia
  69. Home blood pressure monitoring
  70. Glomerulonephritis
  71. Glycemic index: A helpful tool for diabetes?
  72. Guillain-Barre syndrome
  73. Headaches and hormones
  74. Headaches: Treatment depends on your diagnosis and symptoms
  75. Herbal supplements and heart drugs
  76. High blood pressure (hypertension)
  77. High blood pressure and cold remedies: Which are safe?
  78. High blood pressure and sex
  79. High blood pressure dangers
  80. How does IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease) cause kidney damage?
  81. How opioid use disorder occurs
  82. How to tell if a loved one is abusing opioids
  83. What is hypertension? A Mayo Clinic expert explains.
  84. Hypertension FAQs
  85. Hypertensive crisis: What are the symptoms?
  86. Hypothermia
  87. I have IgA nephrology. Will I need a kidney transplant?
  88. IgA nephropathy (Berger disease)
  89. Insulin and weight gain
  90. Intracranial hematoma
  91. Isolated systolic hypertension: A health concern?
  92. What is kidney disease? An expert explains
  93. Kidney disease FAQs
  94. Kratom for opioid withdrawal
  95. L-arginine: Does it lower blood pressure?
  96. Late-night eating: OK if you have diabetes?
  97. Lead poisoning
  98. Living with IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease) and C3G
  99. Low-phosphorus diet: Helpful for kidney disease?
  100. Medications and supplements that can raise your blood pressure
  101. Menopause and high blood pressure: What's the connection?
  102. Molar pregnancy
  103. MRI: Is gadolinium safe for people with kidney problems?
  104. New Test for Preeclampsia
  105. Nighttime headaches: Relief
  106. Nosebleeds
  107. Obstructive sleep apnea
  108. Obstructive Sleep Apnea
  109. Opioid stewardship: What is it?
  110. Pain Management
  111. Pheochromocytoma
  112. Picnic Problems: High Sodium
  113. Pituitary tumors
  114. Polycystic kidney disease
  115. Polypill: Does it treat heart disease?
  116. Poppy seed tea: Beneficial or dangerous?
  117. Porphyria
  118. Postpartum preeclampsia
  119. Preeclampsia
  120. Prescription drug abuse
  121. Primary aldosteronism
  122. Pulse pressure: An indicator of heart health?
  123. Mayo Clinic Minute: Rattlesnakes, scorpions and other desert dangers
  124. Reactive hypoglycemia: What can I do?
  125. Renal diet for vegetarians
  126. Resperate: Can it help reduce blood pressure?
  127. Scorpion sting
  128. Secondary hypertension
  129. Serotonin syndrome
  130. Sleep deprivation: A cause of high blood pressure?
  131. Sleep tips
  132. Snoring
  133. Sodium
  134. Spider bites
  135. Stress and high blood pressure
  136. Symptom Checker
  137. Takayasu's arteritis
  138. Tapering off opioids: When and how
  139. Tetanus
  140. Tetanus shots: Is it risky to receive 'extra' boosters?
  141. The dawn phenomenon: What can you do?
  142. Understanding complement 3 glomerulopathy (C3G)
  143. Understanding IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease)
  144. Vasodilators
  145. Vegetarian diet: Can it help me control my diabetes?
  146. Vesicoureteral reflux
  147. Video: Heart and circulatory system
  148. How to measure blood pressure using a manual monitor
  149. How to measure blood pressure using an automatic monitor
  150. Obstructive sleep apnea: What happens?
  151. What is blood pressure?
  152. Can a lack of vitamin D cause high blood pressure?
  153. What are opioids and why are they dangerous?
  154. White coat hypertension
  155. Wrist blood pressure monitors: Are they accurate?
  156. Xylazine
  157. Effectively managing chronic kidney disease
  158. Mayo Clinic Minute: Do not share pain medication
  159. Mayo Clinic Minute: Avoid opioids for chronic pain
  160. Mayo Clinic Minute: Be careful not to pop pain pills
  161. Mayo Clinic Minute: Out of shape kids and diabetes