Assessment on Blood Pressure Differences in Both Arms and Arm-and-Leg

Abstract

Whether the blood pressure disparities between both arms were related to the order of the pressure determinations was prospectively studied in 118 persons. Although in 12 persons the arm pressure recorded first was consistently higher than that of contralateral arm and in 25 the arm pressure recorded first was consistently lower, statistical analysis revealed that the order of blood pressure determination had no effect on the results of pressure disparities between both arms. Then, the blood pressures of both arms and right leg measured by indirect cuff method were examined retrospectively in 742 males and 565 females. Persons with pressure differences of more than 20mmHg between both arms or arm and leg were excluded from this evaluation, because they might have occlusive arterial disease. In normotensives (<140/90mmHg), the right arm systolic blood pressure was higher than the left arm one by 1.9±0.4mmHg in younger persons with age below 39, but in persons with age of 40 or older the pressure differences between both arms disappeared. In hypertensives (>160/90mmHg), the right arm blood pressure was higher than the left arm one by about 3mmHg except for age group of 70-79. The arm blood pressure in normotensives was higher than the leg one by 3.4±0.2mmHg in persons with age of 20-39, and the pressure differences were decreased in older persons. In hypertensives, as well as in normotensives, arm blood pressure was higher than the leg one only in younger persons.