Testing Both Hands For Blood Pressure Could Save Lives

The practice of testing one hand for blood pressure measurement is now to be abandoned going by a new method which shows that it is better to test both hands. According to a study published in the ‘British Journal of General Practice’, testing both arms for blood pressure instead of just one could save lives. Researchers from Great Britain’s University of Exeter found that checking pressure in both arms could spot people at risk of heart disease, even in those who appear healthy.

Speaking on the new method, Dr. Chris Clark of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: “Current guidelines state that blood pressure should be measured in both arms when assessing patients for hypertension, but often this advice is not followed due to time constraints or lack of awareness amongst clinicians.”

“For accuracy, to overcome natural blood pressure fluctuations, it is important to test both arms simultaneously to confirm any difference,” he said.

A blood pressure test measures the pressure in the arteries as the heart pumps. Blood pressure test could be part of a routine doctor’s appointment or as a screening for high blood pressure (hypertension).

You may have more frequent blood pressure tests if you’ve been diagnosed with pre-hypertension, high blood pressure (hypertension) or low blood pressure (hypotension). A blood pressure reading, given in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), has two numbers.

The first, or upper, number measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats (systolic pressure). The second, or lower, number measures the pressure in the arteries between beats (diastolic pressure).

According to a report in the mailonline, the researchers analysed the medical records of more than 3,000 people between the ages of 50 and 70, who had a greater risk of car-diovascular disease, but were otherwise healthy.

They found that a difference of only 5 points (5mm Hg) in systolic blood pressure measurements between the two arms doubled the risk of dying from heart-related disease during the eightyear follow-up.

A discrepancy of at least five points was found in 60 per cent of the people in the study. The difference can indicate artery-clogging plaque in the artery on the side of the body with the higher reading.

The plaque indicates peripheral artery disease and boosts the chances that arteries in the heart and brain are also clogged, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Once diagnosed, people at risk could be advised on lifestyle changes that could lower their risk.