Blood pressure measurements obtained in the clinic may not be very accurate

So, waiting to see the doctor last winter, when the nurse came to the doctor’s office and met in a hurry, she put her cuffs on the sleeves of my sweater and kept her arms in the air. I was surprised when I said. I made a measurement. My blood pressure was over 66 and 130. This is still normal, but I have high blood pressure. Some people may classify it as boundary high pressure.

High blood pressure, which is considered a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes, is horrifying.about 45% of people According to the CDC, there is high blood pressure in the United States, and only 24 percent of them control blood pressure.

It is important to know your blood pressure accurately. In 2018, nearly 500,000 people died in the United States, either because of high blood pressure or because of high blood pressure.

Some studies have shown that how blood pressure is measured can change the results, and I wondered if that might have raised mine. A Research The percentage of people who participated in the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) was that blood pressure measurements taken during regular clinic appointments were taken during trials of studies that carefully adhered to AHA guidelines. Found to be consistently higher than.

In 2015, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, an independent organization of preventive and evidence-based healthcare professionals, discovered: 15-30 percent Many people with high blood pressure readings on regular clinic appointments may have lower readings outside of that setting.

There are several explanations, such as some patients feeling anxious in the clinic, experiencing “white coat syndrome” and potentially causing high readings. Others rush to make reservations and navigate the subway, transportation, and parking lots without having time to settle down before measuring their blood pressure. However, experts say it is also clear that some clinics are not doing it right.

Kevin Huang, an associate professor of general internal medicine at the University of Texas McGovern Medical College, said: Studied The reason for the wrong blood pressure in the office says he has heard about them from patients.

“A lot of patients came and said,’Hey, one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you was because when I measured my blood pressure, I was told that my blood pressure was over 100. Symptomatology, “said the fan. “Often it was in the dentist’s office, lay in the dentist’s chair, or was done in the pharmacy, they weren’t resting and their backs weren’t supported. They would say I By the time we see it in our office, it’s 20-30 points lower. “

According to Huang, one study showed that up to 50% of patients had low blood pressure at home. This is probably due to both white coat hypertension and mistakes when taking it in the office. He said that even making measurements through thin sleeves may boost reading.

“Depending on sleeve thickness, patient age, and other factors, the study looks at mixed bags,” he said. “For example, it may not make a difference in younger patients, but it does in older patients.”

Paul Whelton, a professor of public tropical medicine at Tulane University, who has led blood pressure intervention trials funded by many National Institutes of Health, said the consequences of deviations from the guidelines could be serious. Stated. Blood pressure, heart disease, stroke.

“It leads to many errors, most of which are overestimates of true mean blood pressure, but sometimes underestimates, and there is no way to deal with them,” he said.

Wellton pointed out One small study It shows that many medical students perform poorly to perform accurate blood pressure tests. He suggested that technicians, or nurses, medical assistants, or other staff members who have more time than doctors, should be trained to measure blood pressure.

“Usually, people who are quite busy don’t take long,” he said.

Ray Thomas, 67, from Chicago, is one of the patients who gets nervous when he goes to his “heart-pounding” clinic.

He wasn’t surprised when the nurse’s reading showed high blood pressure, but he became normal after resting and the doctor taking it. But he still wondered if their method played a role or if he needed some time to relieve stress.

Next time, Thomas said he plans to be more active in his care by asking him to rest first.

The next time I enter, I will do whatever it takes to ensure that my blood pressure is measured correctly. That means first sitting quietly for a few minutes and asking them to put their arms on the armrests of the chair. It can be frustrating for those who are under pressure, but it’s worth knowing if you really have high blood pressure.