Certain arm positions commonly used for blood pressure checks may lead to inaccurate results. Here’s the right way to do it
CNN
A new study found that having your arm in the wrong position during blood pressure checks — either at home or the doctor’s office — can result in readings “markedly higher” than when your arm is in the recommended position: appropriately supported on a table with the middle of the cuff positioned at heart level.
A new study found that having your arm in the wrong position during blood pressure checks — either at home or the doctor’s office — can result in readings “markedly higher” than when your arm is in the recommended position: appropriately supported on a table with the middle of the cuff positioned at heart level. This suggests that not consistently having your arm positioned and supported appropriately during a blood pressure reading might result in a misdiagnosis of high blood pressure, which some experts worry could possibly lead to unnecessary treatment. The study, published Monday in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, 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 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 overestimated diastolic reading by 4.4 mm Hg. Blood pressure is measured in units of millimeters of mercury or mm Hg, which consists of two numbers – the upper or systolic reading and the lower or diastolic reading. A person is considered as having high blood pressure or hypertension if they have consistent readings of 130/80 or higher. “Health care providers need to be reminded about the importance of taking the time to do these steps properly,” said the study’s senior author Dr. Tammy Brady, who serves as vice chair for clinical research in the department of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and medical director of the pediatric hypertension program at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. “I just hope that it raises awareness regarding how important things like arm position are to blood pressure measurement accuracy,” Brady said about the study.
Inside a new exhibition on ‘shokuhin sampuru’ — the highly realistic food replicas commonly displayed in front of restaurants in Japan, intended to lure customers inside.
A woman got routine bloodwork during her second pregnancy and was shocked when the test results came back: It suggested her baby was healthy, but there was something unusual about her own health.
In an age ruled by neatly slicked buns, it’s easy to forget there was a time before extra-hold gel — when hair was encouraged to expand rather than contract.
President-elect Donald Trump has praised the polio vaccine as the “greatest thing,” but a lawyer affiliated with Trump’s pick to lead the country’s top health agency has petitioned the US Food and Drug Administration to revoke approval of the vaccine used in the United States.
Housing the Met’s modern and contemporary art collection from 2030, the new Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing is the first in the museum’s 154-year history to be designed by a female architect.
Robert Eggers’ remake of the horror classic is an all-encompassing psychosexual nightmare — and the bursting bodices only add to the film’s fever pitch.
Most women in the United States haven’t received birth control prescriptions or other family planning services in recent years, a new report suggests, even as abortion restrictions have grown.
Testing for high-risk human papillomaviruses every five years – even with a self-collected sample – is the “preferred screening strategy” for cervical cancer starting at age 30, according to a new draft recommendation from the US Preventive Services Task Force.
The Russian-born, American artist has garnered critical acclaim for her subtle, unnerving images of Florida’s collapsing pastel-pink landscapes.
Thanks to effective and popular new drugs for weight loss and diabetes – an estimated 1 in 8 adults in the US has used Ozempic or a similar GLP-1 medication – demand for procedures to lift and tighten skin has surged.
Pantone has named an “evocative soft brown” called Mocha Mousse its color of the year for 2025.