A new study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine found that having your arm in the wrong position during blood pressure checks can give you results that are ‘markedly higher’ than when your arm is in the recommended position. The study also says that when you don’t have your arms positioned and supported appropriately during a blood pressure check, it might result in a misdiagnosis of high blood pressure which might eventually lead to unnecessary treatment. The study found that having your arm resting in the lap during a blood pressure reading can lead to an overestimated systolic blood pressure measurement by 3.
9 mm Hg and an overestimated diastolic reading by 4 mm Hg. And having your arm hang by your side can lead to an overestimated systolic reading by 6.5 mm Hg and an overestimated diastolic reading by 4.
4 mm Hg. Dr Tammy Brady, the study’s senior author who also serves as vice chair for clinical research in the Department of Paediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and medical director of the pediatric hypertension program at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center said, “Health care providers need to be reminded about the importance of taking the time to do these steps properly. “I just hope that it raises awareness regarding how important things like arm position are to blood pressure measurement accuracy.
“I also hope this study educates patients, empowering them to advocate for proper measurement when they’re in a clinic set.
