In a healthy general population, systolic blood pressure was 2.3 mmHg higher on the right arm than the left (P<0.001), but both arms correlated equally well with target organ damage.
Cross-Sectional (n=484)
Are both arms equally good in assessing blood pressure and target organ damage in the general population?
There is a small interarm blood pressure difference in the healthy general population, but both arms are equally effective at determining target organ damage, supporting the practice of measuring both arms and using the higher reading.
Effect estimate: 2.3 mmHg higher on right arm
p-value: p=<0.001
OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to investigate interarm differences of blood pressure (BP) and its determinants, and to clarify whether both arms are equally good in assessing BP and target organ damage in the general population. METHODS: We studied a representative sample of Finnish adult population with 484 study participants, ages 25-74 years. BP was measured twice by an oscillometric monitor simultaneously on both arms. Study participants underwent a clinical examination including measurements of serum lipids, glucose and indicators of target organ damage. RESULTS: BP was 2.3/0.2 mmHg higher on right than on left arm (P 5 mmHg) was associated with higher BMI, arm circumference, LVMI, IVST and PWT, whereas exaggerated absolute systolic interarm BP difference (>10 mmHg) was not associated with any clinical variables. CONCLUSION: There was only a small difference in BP between arms in a healthy general population. Both arms are equally good determinants of target organ damage. BP should be measured at least once on both arms and prefer the arm with higher BP readings in the future BP measurements.
Johansson et al. (Wed,) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy general population (n=484). Right arm blood pressure measurement vs. Left arm blood pressure measurement was evaluated on Interarm difference in systolic blood pressure (2.3 mmHg higher on right arm, p=<0.001). In a healthy general population, systolic blood pressure was 2.3 mmHg higher on the right arm than the left (P<0.001), but both arms correlated equally well with target organ damage.