Clinically Validated Blood Pressure Monitors: Who Needs Them Most

This article is medically reviewed by Dr Valery Feigin | Professor of Neurology & Epidemiology and Director of NISAN (National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences), Auckland University of Technology.

You might feel perfectly fine, but your blood pressure could be telling a different story. That’s the tricky thing about high blood pressure. It doesn’t always come with symptoms, which is why it’s often called the “silent killer”.

But here’s the good news: keeping an eye on your blood pressure at home can help you stay ahead of potential problems, especially if you fall into certain groups. If you’re pregnant, living with diabetes, or overweight, an accurate monitor isn’t just helpful, it’s a must-have.

Who should really pay attention?

1. If you’re overweight

When you’re overweight, your heart works harder to pump blood. This raises your blood pressure and can lead to other issues like sleep apnea.

Keeping tabs on your blood pressure at home helps you catch early changes before they turn into bigger problems. Choose the right cuff that fits your upper arm to improve accuracy.

2. If you have Type 2 diabetes

Diabetes already puts strain on your kidneys, heart, and blood vessels. Add high blood pressure to the mix, and the risks go up.

Monitoring your blood pressure at home helps you stay in control, spot patterns, and make informed choices with your doctor.

3. If you're pregnant (especially with preeclampsia risk)

Pregnancy changes a lot in your body, which includes your blood pressure.

For mums-to-be, especially those with a risk of preeclampsia (a serious condition that causes dangerously high blood pressure that can harm both mother and baby if not monitored), making regular checks is vital.

Keeping track of blood pressure at home gives you peace of mind between doctor visits.

It’s one small habit that can make a big difference for you and your baby.

Why does "clinically validated" matter?

You’ve probably seen a lot of blood pressure monitors out there. But not all are tested the same way.

Clinically validated monitors typically follow international guidelines such as those from the American Heart Association, tested to make sure they give accurate readings, even for people in high-risk groups like those we just talked about.

That means when you check your blood pressure, you can trust what you see and so can your doctor.

What does OMRON recommend?

At OMRON, all blood pressure monitors are clinically validated for specific needs:

For pregnancy:
HEM-7155T, HEM-7156T, HEM-7156, and HEM-7361
These have been tested for safe use during pregnancy, which is ideal for checking in between appointments.

For wrist use:
HEM-6161 and HEM-6232T
Wrist blood pressure monitors are perfect for those who are overweight or anyone who finds upper-arm cuffs uncomfortable. These wrist monitors offer a comfy, accurate alternative.

All these devices work with the OMRON connect app, so you can easily store your readings, track your health progress, and share data with your doctor in just a few taps.