On call: Blood pressure in both arms
On call
Like other experts, the American Heart Association suggests that doctors take blood pressure readings in both arms when they first examine a patient. If there is a difference, the arm with the higher reading should be used for subsequent measurements. But researchers conducting a study of 147 patients took nine readings in both arms, then repeated the procedure when 91 of the patients returned for a second visit. On average, the reading in the right arm was 2 to 3 mm Hg higher, but the higher reading shifted from arm to arm in many patients. The disparity in systolic blood pressure exceeded 10 mm Hg in 15% of the patients.
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