Blood pressure monitoring is an important tool in preventing some of the most common killers in the United States – heart disease, heart attack and stroke, according to United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – all of which are associated with high blood pressure. One third of the population suffers from high blood pressure. Most people tend to measure their blood pressure on one arm. However, new research has found “solid evidence” that relying on one-arm reading could be a deadly mistake. Read on – and to ensure the health and well-being of others, don’t miss out on these sure signs you’ve already had with coronavirus.
Check your blood pressure in both arms, the study recommends
A new meta-analysis of 24 global studies published in the journal on Monday hypertension urges the importance of taking blood pressure readings from both arms, confirming that a difference between the two is linked to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and death.
“We have long known that a difference in blood pressure between the two arms is related to poorer health outcomes. The large number involved in the INTERPRESS-IPD study helps us understand this in more detail,” said lead author Dr. Chris Clark, a reader. Clinical Clinic at the University of Exeter Medical School in the UK said in a accompanying statement. “It tells us that the bigger the blood pressure difference between the arms, the higher the cardiovascular risk, so it’s really essential to measure both arms to determine which patients may be at significantly higher risk.”
Blood pressure rises and falls in a cycle with each pulse and is measured in units of millimeters of mercury (mmHg). There are two numbers provided during a reading, with the upper (systolic) reading representing the maximum blood pressure, and the lower (diastolic) value being the minimum blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure (also known as high blood pressure) is indicated by high systolic blood pressure.
“A significant difference between the systolic blood pressure measurements in the two arms could indicate a narrowing or stiffening of the arteries, which can affect blood flow,” the accompanying study materials explain. These arterial changes are recognized as an additional risk marker for subsequent heart attack, stroke or early death, and should be investigated for treatment.
According to the researchers’ findings, each difference in mmHg found between the two arms predicted an increased risk of 10 years of new angina, heart attack or stroke, which occurs by one percent; new angina, heart attack or stroke.
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What to talk about with your doctor
How will this new research impact? “Patients who need a blood pressure check should now expect it to be checked in both arms at least once,” says Dr. Clark. So discuss this with your doctor and to protect your life and the lives of others, do not visit any of them. 35 places you most likely catch COVID.