Proper BP measurement crucial as clinicians adapt to new guidelines
Blood pressure has been in mainstream, national news media over the last week in response to the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology updating the U.S. hypertension guidelines for the first time in 14 years.
But while much of the discussion has centered on the lower threshold for hypertension (130/80 millimeters of mercury) and what it means for clinical practice, many of the implications for the guidelines rely on the assumption that blood pressure is being measured correctly in the first place.
As NPR points out, that is rarely the case.
For example, it is recommended that patients sit in a chair for five minutes without talking before getting their blood pressure tested. Sound familiar, or is the process more rushed?
See if NPR’s other dos and don’ts ring a bell by reading the story below:
Daniel joined TriMed’s Chicago editorial team in 2017 as a Cardiovascular Business writer. He previously worked as a writer for daily newspapers in North Dakota and Indiana.