How often do you check your blood pressure? Hopefully, you’re tracking it, as it’s an important marker of heart health. Blood pressure is a measure of the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries and causing them to expand or contract. If your blood pressure is high, you have a greater risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.
High blood pressure can damage your heart, cause strokes and lead to other health problems, such as kidney disease. Your blood pressure is expressed as two numbers. The upper number is the systolic blood pressure, the pressure of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps. The lower number, your diastolic pressure, is the force on the wall of the artery when your heart relaxes.
High blood pressure is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke, but uncontrolled hypertension can also lead to kidney failure and blindness. You might believe that high blood pressure only affects older adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four young adults under 45 have hypertension. The longer you have hypertension without knowing it, the more damage you do to your heart and blood vessels. That’s why following your pressures is so important.
Checking Your Blood Pressure
If you check your blood pressure at home, you probably check it in one arm, right? Many doctor’s offices do this too because they’re pressed for time. But you should check it in both arms and ask your healthcare provider to do it too.
Why both arms? Research shows that a significant difference in blood pressure readings between the two arms can be a sign of peripheral vascular disease, the build-up of plaque inside your arteries. Peripheral vascular disease, or PVD, is a medical term for reduced blood flow to the arms or legs, usually the legs, often due to plaque build-up narrowing the artery. This forces your heart to work harder to push blood through the narrowed vessels.
Peripheral vascular disease, or PVD for short, refers to damage or blockage to the arteries outside of the heart. They’re usually located in the arms and legs but can also affect the blood vessels in your brain, heart, and other parts of your body. A difference in blood pressure between your two arms can be an early and subtle sign of peripheral vascular disease.
How Much Difference Between Arms is Normal?
You might wonder when you should be concerned about a difference in blood pressure between your two arms. In a study, researchers looked at blood pressure readings in both arms of male and female adults over 40 who had not been diagnosed with heart disease. They found that subjects with blood pressure readings that differed by 10 points or more between arms were 38% more likely to have a stroke or heart attack.
Significant differences in blood pressure between arms may let you know whether you’re at risk of a stroke or heart attack and enable you to take steps to lower your risk. As one study points out, blood pressure differences between arms of more than 10 points may signal a higher risk of mortality.
Unfortunately, most healthcare providers take blood pressure readings in one arm when you can glean additional information by checking both arms. But if you monitor your blood pressure at home, you can check it on both sides. Write down your readings and share them with your healthcare provider. If you have a significant difference in blood pressure between your two arms, let your healthcare provider know about it.
If the difference between arms is 10 points or greater, your doctor may recommend further testing, especially if you have a family history of peripheral vascular disease or heart disease.
To Get More Accurate Blood Pressure Readings:
- Keep both feet flat on the floor without crossing your legs.
- Urinate beforehand. A full bladder can raise your blood pressure by up to 10 points.
- Keep your arm at chest height and place the cuff on bare skin.
- Wait an hour after a meal before taking your blood pressure.
- Wait at least 30 minutes after exercise.
- Sit 5 minutes in a relaxed manner before checking your pressure.
- Make sure the blood pressure cuff fits properly and isn’t too tight.
- Use an arm cuff. Wrist cuffs are less accurate.
- Check readings in the morning and evening.
- Don’t talk while taking your blood pressure.
The Bottom Line
Make sure you’re checking your blood pressure regularly and do it in both arms. According to the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg. High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. Between these two values is pre-hypertension.
If you’re in the pre-hypertension range, it’s still important to bring your blood pressure readings down, since blood pressure readings in the pre-hypertensive range can damage your blood vessels over time. Prehypertension can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease, but it often responds to lifestyle changes like more physical activity, weight loss, and dietary changes. Make sure you’re leading a heart-healthy lifestyle too. That includes consistent physical activity, whole foods, stress management, and adequate sleep. It all matters for your health and well-being.
References:
- Family Practice News. February 1, 2012. “BP Differences between Arms May Signal Vascular Disease”
- “Facts About Hypertension | cdc.gov.” 27 Sept. 2021, cdc.gov/bloodpressure/facts.htm.
- “Big arm-to-arm difference in blood pressure linked to ….” 05 Mar. 2014, health.harvard.edu/blog/big-arm-arm-difference-blood-pressure-linked-higher-heart-attack-risk-201403057064.
- “Prehypertension: A Little Too Much Pressure, A Lot of ….” 12 Aug. 2014, kidney.org/news/kidneyCare/fall10/Prehypertension.
- “Prehypertension: Does it really matter? – Harvard Health.” 01 Mar. 2007, health.harvard.edu/heart-health/prehypertension-does-it-really-matter.
- Merck Manual. Eighteen Edition. 2020.
- Srivastava A, Mirza TM, Sharan S. Prehypertension. Nih.gov. Published November 4, 2021. Accessed February 22, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538313/
- Makin A, Lip GY, Silverman S, Beevers DG. Peripheral vascular disease and hypertension: a forgotten association? J Hum Hypertens. 2001 Jul;15(7):447-54. doi: 10.1038/sj.jhh.1001209. PMID: 11464253.
- Safar ME, Priollet P, Luizy F, Mourad JJ, Cacoub P, Levesque H, Benelbaz J, Michon P, Herrmann MA, Blacher J. Peripheral arterial disease and isolated systolic hypertension: the ATTEST study. J Hum Hypertens. 2009 Mar;23(3):182-7. doi: 10.1038/jhh.2008.121. Epub 2008 Oct 2. PMID: 18830251.
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