New study presents evidence that blood pressure should be measured in both arms

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-02/ehs-nsp022514.php

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 25-Feb-2014
Contact: Jane Grochowski
Elsevier Health Sciences

New study presents evidence that blood pressure should be measured in both arms

Philadelphia, PA, February 25, 2014 – As heart disease continues to be one of the leading causes of death in the United States, practitioners and patients alike are looking for ways to cut risk factors and identify new clues to assist with early detection. New research published in the March issue of The American Journal of Medicine suggests that there is an association between a difference in interarm systolic blood pressure and a significant increased risk for future cardiovascular events, leading researchers to recommend expanded clinical use of interarm blood pressure measurement.

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This new study examined 3,390 participants aged 40 years and older from the Framingham Heart Study. All subjects were free of cardiovascular disease at baseline, but investigators found that participants with higher interarm systolic blood pressure differences were at a much higher risk for future cardiovascular events than those with less than a 10 mm Hg difference between arms.

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