Microlife blood pressure monitors review

Microlife blood pressure monitors have been manufactured since 1985. Over the past 35 years, the company has expanded worldwide, gained vast experience, and its products are considered among the most advanced and reliable in the world.

Clinical trials

You should only buy a blood pressure monitor after assessing its reliability. Many manufacturers claim that their products are clinically validated, tested and reliable, but this is often just marketing. If you see simply “clinically tested”, “clinically approved”, etc. on the box, there is a high probability that you are dealing with a low-quality product and you should not buy such a device. Reliable manufacturers always indicate the protocols according to which the devices are clinically validated and approved. If you find the abbreviations ESH, BHS, BIHS, AAMI or DHL on the box or in the instructions, you can consider purchasing such a device [1]. It is worth knowing that the aforementioned protocols differ in their reliability due to the variation in the validated interval and the minimum number of patients tested.

The most reliable and strictest protocol is the BIHS (Developed by the British and Irish Hypertension Society) [2]. All Microlife automatic blood pressure monitors sold by aceso.lt: Microlife BP A2, BP A1 and BP B3 AFIB have been validated according to this protocol. You can be sure that the blood pressure, pulse and other parameters measured with these devices are as shown on the screen.

All of the above clinical trial protocols do not require validation in specific patient groups, but the company's products are also participating in other specialized studies. For example, one of the most advanced blood pressure monitors on the market, the Microlife BP B3, has been clinically tested and recommended for patients with diabetes, pregnant women, severely obese patients, and patients with renal insufficiency. The AFIB function of this device, which detects atrial fibrillation, is also clinically validated [3,4]. We recommend purchasing the Microlife BP B3 blood pressure monitor for patients with the above diseases or obese patients, pregnant women, as well as for people at risk of atrial fibrillation (e.g. seniors over 65 years of age) or simply for those looking for the most accurate and reliable device on the market due to the abundance of studies proving the accuracy of the device and the AFIB and MAM functions.

We would also like to point out that practically all tests are performed with standard-sized cuffs, but Microlife also performs tests with S or XL-sized cuffs, so all blood pressure monitors of this company are ready to be used with S, M, XL, ML-sized cuffs. The measurement accuracy will not change when changing the cuff size. You can purchase cuffs of all sizes here: https://aceso.lt/collections/priedai

Technology

1) Gentle +

This technology is available in all automatic blood pressure monitors manufactured by Microlife and sold on aceso.lt. This technology prevents excessive air inflation into the cuff. This reduces discomfort when measuring blood pressure and prevents excessive arm tightening [5]. Excessive arm tightening during blood pressure measurement is particularly common in patients with stage 2 and 3 (moderate or severe) hypertension, so this feature is particularly useful for them.

2) PAD

This function is available in all modern devices from the manufacturer "Microlife" (Microlife BP A2, BP A1, BP B3, etc.) It is also available in the classic, semi-automatic model BP A80 PAD. This technology, also called IHB, detects irregular heart activity and informs about it with a special icon. PAD or otherwise IHB function is indispensable for people with arrhythmia and those who often experience heart palpitations.

3) MOM

Devices with MAM technology can automatically measure blood pressure 3 times in a row, calculate the average of the measurements taken. There are 15-second breaks between measurements, and the entire measurement takes 3-4 minutes. The measurement data obtained in this mode are particularly reliable, because a person's blood pressure and pulse are constantly changing and one measurement may not be enough to accurately describe it. This function can be disabled in all devices if the user wants a quick, regular measurement. Only advanced devices have MAM technology: Microlife BP B3, BP A3, BP A6, etc.

4) AFIB

This is one of the most famous technologies of the manufacturer Microlife. Devices with this function do what previously only an electrocardiogram could do - they detect atrial fibrillation [6]. Considering that this is a rather dangerous condition that can occur without any symptoms, AFIB technology is indispensable for patients with various types of arrhythmia. It is also useful for those who suffer from heart palpitations, irregular heartbeat, etc. Devices with the AFIB function are especially recommended for seniors over 65 years of age, because the risk of atrial fibrillation increases with age. Detecting atrial fibrillation in time can help prevent very serious complications, such as thrombosis, stroke or heart attack. The reliability of AFIB technology is very high, with a sensitivity of 98 % and a specificity of 92%. This means that there is only a 2% chance that the device will not detect atrial fibrillation. These figures were confirmed by as many as 9 clinical trials involving 10,477 patients.

The only device sold by aceso.lt has AFIB technology – Microlife BP B3 AFIB and other high-end devices, such as BP A6, BP B6 connect, etc.

5) BMI

Most blood pressure monitors measure blood pressure during exhalation, but this is not always comfortable for people with hypertension. With very high blood pressure, you may feel a strong compression of the upper arm. Devices with IMT technology measure blood pressure during inflation, thus avoiding excessive compression of the upper arm. This technology is available in the Microlife BP A3L device, but aceso.lt does not sell this type of device. If you need this technology, we recommend that you pay attention to the Nissei (Japan) blood pressure monitors.

We hope that after reading this article you have formed a more complete picture of the manufacturer Microlife, the technologies used by this company, the clinical trials conducted, and the devices sold.

Sources:

[1] https://www.microlife.lt/technologies/blood-pressure/clinically-validated

[2] https://bihsoc.org/guidelines/hypertension-management/

[3] Stergiou GS, Karpettas N, Protogerou A, Nasothimiou EG, &

Kyriakidis M. Diagnostic accuracy of a home blood pressure

monitor to detect atrial fibrillation. J Hum Hyperten 2009; 1-5.

[4] Wiesel J, Fitzig L, Herschman Y, & Messineo FC Detection of

Atrial Fibrillation Using a Modified Microlife Blood Pressure

Monitor. Am J Hypertens 2009; 848-852.

[5] https://www.microlife.lt/technologies/blood-pressure

[6] https://www.microlife.lt/technologies/blood-pressure/afib-technology