The most ACCURATE way to measure blood pressure (important!)

It’s routine procedure to take a patient’s vital signs anytime they’re in a medical environment.

And that should always include blood pressure (BP) readings.

But did you know research suggests a BETTER way to capture that important BP metric?

This new-and-improved method could even offer early detection of hypertension among healthy adults.

Stand, don’t sit

According to researchers, measure BP while patients are standing—rather than sitting—may improve reading accuracy.

For the study, BP was measured in three ways:

1. Through 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM)
2. Seated in a doctor’s office
3. Standing in a doctor’s office

Participants were healthy, in that they were not diagnosed with heart disease or hypertension—and were not taking medication to lower BP.

Ultimately, researchers concluded nearly 34 percent of patients had hypertension. And the most accurate readings were achieved by taking BP while the participant was standing.

More specifically, the sensitivity (accuracy in detecting a condition or in yielding a “positive” result—in this case, for hypertension) and specificity (accuracy in ruling out a condition, or yielding a “negative” result) was highest when patients were sitting.

For example, sensitivity was 43 percent and specificity was 92 percent among those in a seated position, compared to 71 percent and 67 percent from standing measurements.

The more you know…

In my view, this recommendation is wise. Taking BP while sitting doesn’t take into account BP fluctuations during real-life situations, like standing and walking.

And of course, detecting high BP is crucial to living a longer, healthier life. After all, it’s a silent killer.

In fact, hypertension remains the top risk factor for heart disease and stroke, which affect nearly 50 percent of American adults.

And, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2021, hypertension was a primary or contributing cause of over 690,000 deaths in the U.S. alone.

Of course, one single abnormal BP reading should NEVER land you a prescription. You should always have an assessment with a 24-hour BP monitor.

You can also start taking BP readings at home. (This is what I encourage my patients to do. I also have them bring their machines into the office, to help ensure their monitors are accurate.)

At the end of the day, hypertension remains a No. 1 killer, so I’ll always encourage you know your number. (Remember, knowledge is power. And as this study shows, start requesting to have you BP taken while standing.)

From there, whether you choose to follow conventional medical advice is a decision only you can make. But for some alternative health advice into protecting your heart, and potentially reversing hypertension, check out my Ultimate Heart-Protection Protocol.

Source:

“Utility of standing office blood pressure in detecting hypertension in healthy adults.” Nature, 09/20/2023. (nature.com/articles/s41598-023-42297-6)