If you have to check your blood pressure readings like I do, this story tells me that I've been doing it all wrong. And, my pressure readings are higher than they should be.
A comparison of blood pressure readings taken while people held their arms three different ways — leaning on a desk, resting on the lap like I do, 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.
The researchers found that when people had their arms hanging by their sides during the reading, their systolic pressure was 6.5 points higher than when their arms were resting on a desk, while the diastolic blood pressure — the bottom number — was 4.4 points higher than in the supported condition.
Similarly when people’s arms were on their laps, the systolic blood pressure was 3.9 points higher than when their arms were supported by a desktop, while the diastolic pressure was 4 points higher than in the supported condition.
The problem with reading these wrong higher systolic and diastolic numbers is many patients are then given medication that they don't need.
The American Heart Association recommends that a patient’s arm should be supported on a desktop to get an accurate reading. The guidelines also say:
- Avoid caffeine, exercise and smoking for 30 minutes.
- The blood pressure cuff should be positioned at mid-heart level.
- The patient’s feet should be flat on the floor, with the back supported.
Nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, which occurs when the measured force of blood flowing through blood vessels is higher than what is considered normal: less than 120 systolic pressure and less than 80 diastolic. Diastolic is the pressure in the arteries between heart beats. Hypertension often causes minimal symptoms but untreated it can increase the risk for stroke, heart attack and other serious cardiovascular conditions.
You can read more here: Arm Position During Blood Pressure.