Arm Position Matters for Accurate Blood Pressure Readings
Small changes in positioning can lead to big changes in your blood pressure readings, which can impact your heart health and treatment plan. A new study led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine has found that how your arm is positioned when taking blood pressure readings can significantly affect the results. Published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the study reveals that common nonstandard arm positions often used in clinical settings can lead to an overestimation of blood pressure (BP), potentially leading to misdiagnosis of hypertension. The study tested three different arm positions on 133 adults: - Arm supported on a desk (the standard recommended position): This is the position recommended by clinical guidelines, where the arm is placed at heart level and supported on a firm surface. - Arm resting on the lap : This position overestimated systolic BP (the top number) by 3.9 mmHg and diastolic BP (the bottom number) by 4.0 mmHg. - Arm unsupported at the side : This resulted in