Simple errors in measuring blood pressure can affect diagnosis and treatment

Follow-up - Al-Wasat Iraqi newspaper

A general practitioner warned that errors that seem simple when measuring blood pressure can lead to a false diagnosis of high blood pressure in some people.

He explained that the patient's sitting position and the position of the arm during the examination can clearly affect the accuracy of the reading.

The UK National Health Service (NHS) advises sitting quietly for at least five minutes before measuring blood pressure, with the back supported, feet flat on the floor, and the arm placed on a firm surface at heart level; however, these measures are not always applied in clinics, especially busy ones, which can lead to inaccurate readings and inappropriate treatment decisions.

The Daily Mail quoted Dr. Dean Ejeet, a general practitioner in the NHS, as saying that accurate blood pressure measurement is essential to identify those at risk of harm from high blood pressure and to treat them correctly.

He added that overtreatment and the side effects of medications can cause real harm, particularly in patients most at risk to their health, noting that improper measurement methods can lead to inappropriate treatment decisions and affect patients' quality of life.

This warning came after a 2024 study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine that included 133 adults aged between 18 and 80 to examine the effect of arm position on the accuracy of blood pressure measurement.

The study showed that letting the arm hang down by the side unsupported led to an increase in the systolic reading — the top number — by about 6.5 mmHg, while the diastolic reading increased by about 4.4 mmHg; placing the arm on the thighs increased the systolic reading by about 4 mmHg.

The researchers said these differences could be large enough to affect the decision to diagnose some patients with high blood pressure.

It is thought that letting the arm hang down causes muscle contraction and a temporary rise in pressure, while placing it on the thighs may increase the distance between the arm and the heart and affect the reading.

Source: Agencies