They’re up in arms!
Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine say accurate blood pressure readings depend upon proper arm positioning — and plenty of patients and practitioners are getting it flawed.
Within the study, published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers compared blood pressure readings of 133 adults who held their arms in three different positions: resting on the lap, leaning on a surface and hanging by their side. They found that certain placements corresponded to a drastic increase in systolic pressure.
Systolic measures pressure within the arteries when your heart beats — it’s represented by the primary and better number in a blood pressure reading.
The research team found that when participants had their arms hanging by their side, their systolic pressure was 6.5 points higher and their diastolic pressure was 4.4 points higher.
Diastolic pressure, the pressure within the arteries between heartbeats, is the underside number within the reading.
Lap support overestimated systolic pressure by 3.9 points and diastolic pressure by 4 points.
Dr. Tammy Brady — a pediatrician epidemiologist and medical director of the pediatric hypertension program on the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center — was surprised by her findings.
She noted that blood pressure discrepancies may end up in the misdiagnosis of hypertension and patients being prescribed medication they don’t need, which may create unwanted unwanted effects.
Based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 61.9 million US adults are on blood pressure medication.
“Certainly one of my hopes is that this may help inform patients as to find out how to do that on their very own and likewise to inform their health care provider the correct way,” Brady told NBC News. “Patients must be empowered to be sure the blood pressure measurement is accurate.”
The American Heart Association‘s advisable position for an accurate blood pressure reading is feet flat on the ground, back supported with arms leaning on a surface and cuff positioned at mid-heart level.
The organization also urges patients to avoid tobacco, caffeine and exercise inside half-hour before testing.
Normal blood pressure is defined as lower than 120 systolic pressure and lower than 80 diastolic.
Stage 1 hypertension is when systolic is 130 to 139 or diastolic is 80 to 89. Stage 2 hypertension is systolic blood pressure of 140 or higher and a diastolic pressure of 90 or higher.
A few points could make all of the difference in a diagnosis.
And the style of cuff used to measure blood pressure could also be just as vital as arm positioning.
Separate research published last yr found that standard, or “regular,” blood pressure cuffs deliver “strikingly inaccurate” readings for patients who require a unique size — particularly for many who need larger cuffs.
It’s advisable to make use of a cuff that most closely fits the person’s arm, but experts found that medical professionals most frequently use medium-sized cuffs. These are typically the one size provided for at-home blood pressure monitors.
For individuals who discover their blood pressure is simply too high, experts suggest exercising frequently, consuming a nourishing weight loss program, maintaining a healthy weight and quitting smoking.
They’re up in arms!
Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine say accurate blood pressure readings depend upon proper arm positioning — and plenty of patients and practitioners are getting it flawed.
Within the study, published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers compared blood pressure readings of 133 adults who held their arms in three different positions: resting on the lap, leaning on a surface and hanging by their side. They found that certain placements corresponded to a drastic increase in systolic pressure.
Systolic measures pressure within the arteries when your heart beats — it’s represented by the primary and better number in a blood pressure reading.
The research team found that when participants had their arms hanging by their side, their systolic pressure was 6.5 points higher and their diastolic pressure was 4.4 points higher.
Diastolic pressure, the pressure within the arteries between heartbeats, is the underside number within the reading.
Lap support overestimated systolic pressure by 3.9 points and diastolic pressure by 4 points.
Dr. Tammy Brady — a pediatrician epidemiologist and medical director of the pediatric hypertension program on the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center — was surprised by her findings.
She noted that blood pressure discrepancies may end up in the misdiagnosis of hypertension and patients being prescribed medication they don’t need, which may create unwanted unwanted effects.
Based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 61.9 million US adults are on blood pressure medication.
“Certainly one of my hopes is that this may help inform patients as to find out how to do that on their very own and likewise to inform their health care provider the correct way,” Brady told NBC News. “Patients must be empowered to be sure the blood pressure measurement is accurate.”
The American Heart Association‘s advisable position for an accurate blood pressure reading is feet flat on the ground, back supported with arms leaning on a surface and cuff positioned at mid-heart level.
The organization also urges patients to avoid tobacco, caffeine and exercise inside half-hour before testing.
Normal blood pressure is defined as lower than 120 systolic pressure and lower than 80 diastolic.
Stage 1 hypertension is when systolic is 130 to 139 or diastolic is 80 to 89. Stage 2 hypertension is systolic blood pressure of 140 or higher and a diastolic pressure of 90 or higher.
A few points could make all of the difference in a diagnosis.
And the style of cuff used to measure blood pressure could also be just as vital as arm positioning.
Separate research published last yr found that standard, or “regular,” blood pressure cuffs deliver “strikingly inaccurate” readings for patients who require a unique size — particularly for many who need larger cuffs.
It’s advisable to make use of a cuff that most closely fits the person’s arm, but experts found that medical professionals most frequently use medium-sized cuffs. These are typically the one size provided for at-home blood pressure monitors.
For individuals who discover their blood pressure is simply too high, experts suggest exercising frequently, consuming a nourishing weight loss program, maintaining a healthy weight and quitting smoking.
