How Non-Standard Arm Positions Inflate Blood Pressure Readings
8 Oct 2024 • Commonly used, nonstandard arm positions during BP measurements such as resting the arm on the lap or leaving it unsupported significantly skew blood pressure (BP) measurements. These arm positions resulted in substantial overestimation of BP readings and may lead to misdiagnosis and overestimation of hypertension.
In a recent study published in JAMA, supporting the arm on the lap inflated systolic BP by 3.9 mm Hg and diastolic BP by 4.0 mm Hg, while an unsupported arm at the side raised systolic BP by 6.5 mm Hg and diastolic BP by 4.4 mm Hg.
These findings underscored the importance of following standard measurement guidelines—supporting the arm on a desk with the midcuff at heart level - for accurate readings.
Source: JAMA | Read full story