A new study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine found that having your arm in the wrong position during a blood pressure check can give you results that are ‘significantly higher’ than if your arm was in the recommended position. The study also says that when you do not keep your arms in the proper position and support them during a blood pressure check, it can result in misdiagnosis of high blood pressure, which may ultimately result in unnecessary treatment. .

The study found that resting your arm in your lap during a blood pressure reading could overestimate systolic blood pressure measurements by 3.9 mm Hg and overestimate diastolic readings by 4 mm Hg. And hanging your arm at your side can cause the systolic reading to be overestimated by 6.5 mm Hg and the diastolic reading to be overestimated by 4.4 mm Hg.

Dr. Tammy Brady, senior author of the study, who also serves as vice chair of clinical research in the Department of Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and medical director of the Pediatric Hypertension Program at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, said, “Health care providers need to be reminded of the importance of taking the time to perform these steps properly.

“I just hope it will raise awareness of how important things like hand position are to blood pressure measurement accuracy.

He added, “I also hope this study will educate patients and empower them to advocate for appropriate measurements in the clinic setting.” “But at the same time, because so many patients rely on home blood pressure measurements to diagnose, evaluate, and treat hypertension, I hope this will educate them about how to properly position their arms because our findings are absolutely are extended to the measurements in the house.”

For the study, researchers at Johns Hopkins University recruited 133 adults from Baltimore and Maryland between August 2022 and June 2023. Adults aged 18 to 80 were randomly assigned to have their blood pressure measured while their arms were positioned in three different ways; Supported on a desk, in their lap or hanging next to them, unsupported, as per recommended standard practice.

According to a CNN report, the study found that among participants, when their arms were placed on a desk as recommended by standard clinical guidelines, their blood pressure reading averaged 126/74.

But when participants’ arms were resting in their lap during the readings, the average blood pressure reading was 130/78, and when their arms were hanging at their sides, their readings averaged 133/78.

“I didn’t expect there to be that much of a difference when the weapons were placed in two alternative locations,” Brady said. We tested those conditions because, according to data and personal observations, these are the conditions in which most people’s blood pressure is measured. We thought there would be a difference, but I was surprised by how much there was.”

The proper position when checking your blood pressure level is with your arm supported on the table and the middle of the cuff located at heart level.

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