blood pressure cuffs

[Alan Lightstone]

SO if i read your answer correctly
(1) no way to tell if BP readings taken in the doctor's office are accurate (so comparing your machine the PCP's machine is useless)
(2) One can only check out the "home machine" by comparing it to a professional machine in a hospital...meaning one is SOL unless you can convince a hospital staff to let you come in off the street with your machine to check it out.

Ergo...no way for a lot of folks to determine/monitor what their BP is.

If I've misunderstood your reply, or come to an erroneous conclusion, please correct me.
I'd like to be able to accurately monitor my BP. Thanks

Basically, what you said is true. But it is what it is. The machines or that human being measured BP may be perfectly accurate. Or not. But that's what we all get. There's no profit motive for doctor's offices to buy expensive BP machines, so most don't.

I would look at a trend of your BPs, taken at different times, in different locations perhaps and use that to judge what your blood pressure is. It doesn't have to be totally accurate, because it won't be. It's not like they're going to put an arterial line in your radial artery every time you go to the doctor's office to get an accurate reading (and there is artifact with the gold standard, too).

As I said, I'm content with my home Omron machine. I take my BPs lying in bed, watching TV. Don't watch the Red Sox or Rays losing. That would raise my BP. I look at trends. That's, at least to me, a reasonable approach.