Campus Community
Posted: Monday, May 16, 2016Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring for Faculty and Staff
May is blood pressure awareness month. Nearly one in five people has high blood pressure but is unaware. Hypertension increases the risk for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, and stroke, the third leading cause of death in the United States. Take an active role in your health and get your blood pressure checked regularly. Know your numbers!
During the month of May, Weigel Health Center will offer two ambulatory blood pressure monitors to interested faculty and staff members. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is a technique to gauge accurate blood pressure over a 24-hour period using a monitor. The monitor can be worn on a belt or in a pouch, but the blood pressure cuff must be worn on the participant's non-dominant arm for a full 24 hours. While wearing the cuff, participants must keep their arms relatively still each time the cuff is inflating. Participants are also unable to shower or exercise while wearing the monitor.
The monitor is programmed to take readings every 20 minutes when the wearer is awake and every 60 minutes when the wearer is asleep. At the end of testing, results are downloaded and printed for the participant. The readings are very reliable, accurate to within 5 mmHg of readings taken with a manual blood pressure cuff.
Weigel Health Center is not responsible for treatment or follow-through on results but asks participants to follow up with their doctors accordingly. Weigel Health will not use the results of any tests performed for any purpose.
If you are interested in ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, please call Julie Nichols, nurse practitioner in the Weigel Health Center, at 878-6711. Testing will be scheduled Monday through Thursday only, preferably in the morning. Please wear loose-fitting clothing to the appointment. The cuff will be placed on your nondominant arm.
We look forward to seeing you and answering any questions you may have.
