24-Hour Blood Pressure Monitoring (BPM)
Hypertension usually doesn’t have early warning signs or symptoms until blood pressure has reached a critical stage. Blood Pressure Monitoring (BPM) requires you to wear a small device that monitors your blood pressure for 24 hours. The device measures and records your blood pressure regularly (typically every 15-30 minutes). A record of your blood pressure over a set period provides a more reliable measurement than one-off readings and vital information about your blood pressure and potential hypertension.
About 24-hour Blood Pressure Monitoring
Who is this test for?
Anyone with persistently raised blood pressure readings or dramatically different readings at each measurement should be considered for BPM. BPM by Squamish Diagnostic Centre ® is also suitable for individuals who have a family history of hypertension, have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, or have other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
What is this test used for?
Recording your blood pressure over a set period with BPM can provide a more reliable measurement than one single reading. The information obtained from BPM can help your doctor when:
- They are unable to obtain an accurate blood pressure reading in their office (e.g. fluctuating reading, episodic or white-coat hypertension)
- They suspect drug-resistant hypertension
- You have hypotensive symptoms with antihypertensive therapy
- You are exhibiting autonomic dysfunction

Cost $70 NOT covered under MSP

A Holter monitor is a small, wearable device that records your heart activity for typically 24 to 72 hours, and up to 7 to 14 days. The device is small, lightweight, and hangs around your neck while connecting cable to sensors attached to your chest. A Holter monitor captures all your heart activity throughout the day and while your sleep. This allows a physician to determine if there are intermittent abnormalities to your heart rhythm over an extended period of time. The test is safe and painless.

Your healthcare provider may recommend a Holter monitor test to detect possible heart-related problems if you are experiencing symptoms such as:
Irregular heart beats
Dizziness
Fainting
Shortness of breath
A Holter monitor is set up at a Squamish Diagnostic Centre Patient Service Centre. When you arrive for your appointment, the staff will ask you a few health-related questions (height, weight, medications, symptoms, reason for the testing, if you have had this test performed before and whether you have a pacemaker) and ask you to remove your shirt so disposable sensors can be attached to your chest. A Staff will then:
Rub alcohol in the area of your chest where the sensors are to be attached.
If necessary, shave any chest hair in the area a sensor will need to be attached
Attach the sensors and then hook cables to the monitor and the sensors. Some patients may experience slight irritation or marking where the sensors are attached.
Provide you with any specific instructions to ensure accurate testing.
The monitor is a little larger than a cell phone and will allow you to continue with your normal daily activity. Unless instructed otherwise, you must wear the monitor from the time it is connected until it is removed after 24 hours the staff will advise you when to drop off including your information dairy . While you are wearing the monitor, it cannot get wet.
After the testing period, you will return to Squamish Diagnostic Centre and have the monitor removed. The recordings will then be transmitted to a physician for reading with the findings forwarded to your healthcare provider.

Why is it done?
An EKG provides two major kinds of information. First, by measuring time intervals on the EKG, a health care professional can determine how long the electrical wave takes to pass through the heart. Finding out how long a wave takes to travel from one part of the heart to the next shows if the electrical activity is normal or slow, fast or irregular. Second, by measuring the amount of electrical activity passing through the heart muscle, a cardiologist may be able to find out if parts of the heart are damaged, too large or are overworked.

Does it hurt?
There’s no pain or risk associated with having an electrocardiogram. When the EKG stickers are removed, there may be some minor discomfort.

Is it harmful?
No. The machine only records the EKG. It doesn’t send electricity into the body.