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Back to Back blood pressure reading

Posted , 6 users are following.

Eduardo333
Eduardo333

Can taking back to back blood pressure readings give you inaccurate results ?

I just read that taking them back to back causes the blood vessel to contract resulting in a lower blood pressure that isn’t accurate .

Whenever I take my blood pressure , it’s always 147 over 87 but after 10 or so minute of back to back readings I’m able to get it under 120 over 80 ; I always blame this to anxiety .

Are these reading inaccurate or was the comment that I read wrong about back to back readings?

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • jx41870
    jx41870 Eduardo333

    Posted

    Don't know.  I've seen doctors take several in a row.  Myself, I seldom do a retest in less than an hour.

  • howard90860
    howard90860 Eduardo333

    Posted

    Many BP monitor instructions say to wait at least 5 minutes between testings to have the vascular system adjust back from the previous cuffing.
  • jane243
    jane243 Eduardo333

    Posted

    I thought the perceived wisdom was to wait 2 mins between readings. That's what my GP tells me to do. It is usually lower the second time but not always.

    Quite often I get a huge drop between the 2 - as much as 20 systolic - in which case I take a third and if it is closer to the second reading then I discard the first. The GP is fine with that.

  • derek76
    derek76 Eduardo333

    Posted

    You are probably right to blame it on anxiety. The doctor I see at a hypertension centre tells me to take three or four readings over a ten minute period. If three are similar to each other to believe them but not if there is a wide disparity. Though in my case I have AF and that can confuse the monitor although my one has a flashing heart sign to indicate that.
    • Eduardo333
      Eduardo333 derek76

      Posted

      I get the flashing heart symbol once In a while when im anxious . 

      Can anxiety cause this to pop up ? I have taken 2 EKG, Stress Test, and an ECHO and everything came out normal according to the cardiologist.

    • derek76
      derek76 Eduardo333

      Posted

      I imagine that anxiety caused it. The tests you had should put your mind at rest.
  • gill70346
    gill70346 Eduardo333

    Posted

    I am registered with a University of Dundee hypertension trial (very large over 50,000 people) for which I have to send them my blood pressure reading every 3 months. They say I need to do 3 readings each 2 minutes apart so that is what I always do when taking my blood pressure. It is true that my 2nd and 3rd are always a bit lower which like you I have always put down to tension when taking the first.  It actually is important that you do not take them back to back but at least e minutes between each reading. I do not believe what you have read about back to back reading causing the blood vessels to contract - is that based on readings done by doctors as part of a clinical trial or is it just one persons opinion?
    • Eduardo333
      Eduardo333 gill70346

      Posted

      This was based on two comment that I came across on the internet . If you really think about it , it kind of makes sense that something happen to the vessel causing them to contract due to the arm getting squeezed . I take them back to back so often that my arm gets red blood dotted lines .. 
  • gill70346
    gill70346 Eduardo333

    Posted

    The comments May be right if you take the BP readings literally back to back. That is why GPs and nurses recommend sitting quietly 2-3 minutes between readings.
    • derek76
      derek76 gill70346

      Posted

      I wanted to get on one f the early renal denervation trials for hypertension. They took several readings sitting and standing that started off at 210/110. They then sat me out in the corridor with a machine attached to my arm taking  readings every couple of minutes. They varied from the original down to 137/80 and that was the one they took for my record.
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