If you ’ve ever had a high blood pressure reading , there ’s a opportunity your arm position skew the consequence . A study out this hebdomad finds that two common position for take aim blood pressure can often lead to overestimates . It ’s possible these flubs may run to the great unwashed getting mistakenly diagnosed with hypertension , the researcher say .
Blood pressure level is one of themost authoritative metricsfor evaluating a person ’s overall health . inveterate high profligate atmospheric pressure , or hypertension , is known to raise the risk of nitty-gritty disease and stroke , two major prima case of death , and high blood line pressure can be an indicator of other wellness issues such as type 2 diabetes . But these new findings propose that there is a glaring unsighted position in how Dr. and patients at home are direct this essential exam .
Researchers at Johns Hopkins performed the study , publishedMonday inJAMA Internal Medicine . They levy 133 grownup between the age of 18 and 80 to take part in a crossover randomized visitation , imply that the volunteers all participate in the dissimilar conditions of the report ( but in randomized order ) . The participants had their blood pressure take via their arm in three way of life : the widely recommended position of supporting their arm on a desk , having their arm dangling by the side unsupported , and have their deal rest on their overlap .
A blood pressure device.© Malaeru Florentina via Getty
Compared to the gold received method acting of having the arm patronage on a desk , the other two methods consistently resulted in high blood pressing reading , the researchers found . On middling , using a circle - rest arm chair to a systolic blood pressing measurement ( the top number ) 3.9 millimeter Hg gamey than normal and a diastolic measurement ( the bottom number ) 4 mm Hg higher . Using an unsupported arm lead to a systolic mensuration 6.5 mm Hg higher than normal and a diastolic reading 4.4 mm Hg higher .
For context , a blood pressure reading of 130/80 is the threshold for hypertension . And the researchers say that doctors relying on these two methods could certainly misdiagnose some of their patients as having high blood pressure . like misreadings could also encounter with patients taking their descent air pressure at home .
“ This crosswalk randomise clinical trial showed that commonly used arm positions ( lap or side ) result in substantive overestimate of BP reading and may top to misdiagnosis and overestimation of hypertension , ” they write .
Some previous research has find that subtle factors like arm positioning or support can affect blood pressure measure , but this subject looks like one of the first randomized trial to seek quantifying the difference . Other enquiry has suggested that even the location of a trial run can affect mass ’s reading . One such well - known phenomenon is “ white coat high blood pressure , ” which is when the great unwashed consistently have higher blood pressure recitation at a MD ’s agency than at home plate , possibly due to anxiousness ( that said , citizenry with white coat hypertension may still have ahigher cardiovascular riskthan someone with normal stemma pressure at all times )
The investigator go for that their findings can help other doctors and affected role .
“ Health charge providers need to be reminded about the grandness of assume the time to do these stride decently , ” senior researcher Tammy Brady , medical director of the pediatric high blood pressure programme at Johns Hopkins Children ’s Center , toldCNN . “ I also hope this sketch educates affected role , empowering them to advocate for right measurement when they ’re in a clinic scene . ”
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