However, even if your arm is in a perfect position, you could still wind up with an inaccurate blood pressure reading due to other factors. For instance, your seated posture might be an issue.

For example, for a patient whose systolic blood pressure is 128 mmHg — which is in the elevated range, between 120 and 129 — a misplaced arm could inadvertently lead the patient to be ...

For example, if a person’s actual blood pressure is 134, and blood pressure is measured on a dangling arm, the reading could end up over 140, which is considered to be stage 2 hypertension.

Margaret Graham, 74, has her blood pressure checked while visiting the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Friday, July 13, 2018. AP Photo/Allen G. Breed PHILADELPHIA ...

To learn whether arm position made a difference in blood pressure readings, Brady and her colleagues recruited 133 adults, 78% of them Black and 52% female. The study volunteers’ ages ranged ...

For example, if a person’s actual blood pressure is 134, and blood pressure is measured on a dangling arm, the reading could end up over 140, which is considered to be stage 2 hypertension.

To learn whether arm position made a difference in blood pressure readings, Brady and her colleagues recruited 133 adults, 78% of them Black and 52% female. The study volunteers’ ages ranged ...