Arm position during blood pressure check may result in wrong hypertension diagnosis, study finds
Blood pressure readings taken while a person's arm is in the wrong position could lead to a misdiagnosis of hypertension, a new study found.
Blood pressure readings may not be accurate unless a person’s arm is positioned correctly, a new study suggests.
A comparison of blood pressure readings taken while people held their arms three different ways — leaning on a surface, resting on the lap or hanging by the side of the body — showed certain positions could lead to a significant increase in systolic pressure, the upper number in a blood pressure reading, according to the study published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine. Systolic refers to the amount of pressure in a person’s arteries, when the heart sends blood throughout the body.
The size of the difference, nearly 7 points in the arm dangling position, was a surprise, said the study’s senior author, Dr. Tammy Brady, a pediatrician and epidemiologist and medical director of the pediatric hypertension program at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.
For an accurate reading, the arm should be resting on a surface. Your arm resting on your lap or by your side can result in a higher systolic number.Dr. Tammy Brady / Johns Hopkins School of MedicineThe researchers weren’t sure what to expect prior to running their experiment. “There was a chance that arm position was not important,” she said.
“One of my hopes is that this will help inform patients as to how to do this on their own and also to tell their health care provider the right way,” Brady said. “Patients should be empowered to make sure the blood pressure measurement is accurate.”
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