Doctors confirm that adhering to the correct body position while measuring blood pressure greatly affects the accuracy of the measurement results.
A recent study indicates that failure to adhere to the correct position of the hand during the blood pressure measurement process may lead to incorrect results that affect the accuracy of the diagnosis of the disease.
As part of the study conducted by the American Society of Cardiology and published in the scientific journal Jama Medical Medicine, researchers studied the effect of different hand positions on blood pressure measurement results in 133 adults between the ages of 18 and 80 years.
The researchers tested the results of measuring blood pressure while placing the hand on an upper surface, when the hand was placed above the thighs (on the lap) while sitting, and finally when the hand was left hanging in the air next to the patient.
The results showed that placing the hand on the stone leads to an increase in the result of the diastolic and systolic measurements by 4 millimeters of mercury on the pointer of the blood pressure measuring device, and that leaving the hand hanging next to the body leads to an increase in the measurement result by approximately 7 millimeters for the diastolic measurement and more than 4 millimeters for the systolic measurement. .
According to the Health Day website, which specializes in medical research, doctors from the American Society of Cardiology advise placing the hand at a height equivalent to the level of the heart on the surface of a table or desk during the measurement in order to obtain the most accurate result possible.
Doctors stress the necessity of wearing a suitable air belt, and placing the feet on the ground in parallel to obtain a correct blood pressure reading.
The researchers said that health care officials must adhere to blood pressure measurement controls, and create the appropriate situation for measuring blood pressure, whether in health facilities or at home.