Don't Trust Free In-Store Blood Pressure Machines

Everybody loves to get something for nothing. But one particular freebie – the blood pressure machines found in pharmacies, supermarkets, and other public places – may be hazardous to your health because they often give false readings, say experts.

The main problem is the one-size-doesn’t-fit-all arm cuffs. If the cuff is too small, you’ll get an artificially high reading. If it’s too big, you’ll get a falsely low reading.

But even if you have an arm that correctly fits the machine, you may still get an inaccurate reading.

The reason: Public machines get a lot of use. Unless they’re tested twice a year and recalibrated if necessary – which most aren’t – they will give inaccurate results.

“People need to realize that there are limitations,” says Mary Ann Bauman, M.D., national spokesperson for the American Heart Association (AHA). “That’s why it’s worthwhile to be cautious about those readings.”

One recent study from the Mayo Clinic shows that in-store machines are more accurate for people with average-size arms than for those with small or large-size arms.

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