Readings taken on patients with their arms by their sides were up to 10 percent higher than readings taken on the same patients with their arms bent, according to a study from the University of California, San Diego, and the Medical College of Wisconsin.
"When your arm is hanging down, the cuff is below heart level, which increases blood-pressure readings," explains Cheryl Laffer, MD, at the Center for Hypertension and Cardiovascular Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City. An ambulatory blood-pressure monitor - a small portable device you can get from your doctor that takes a reading every 15 to 30 minutes for a 24-hour period - can help your doctor determine if a spike in your blood pressure during the office visit is truly indicative of a problem.
