Brachial or wrist blood pressure in obese patients: which is the best?
OBJECTIVE
Blood pressure (BP) measured in obese patients with a large arm circumference using a cuff of standard width may be overestimated.


METHODS
We compared in this study the BP readings obtained with oscillometric devices at the left arm (OMRON HEM 705-CP) and the left wrist (OMRON R6) (Omron Medizintechnik, Mannheim, Germany) in lean (n=15) and obese (n=11) patients.


RESULTS
No difference was found in diastolic BP between the two groups, nor between the arm and the wrist. Systolic BP measured at the arm was, however, significantly lower in obese (99+/-9 mmHg, mean+/-SD) than in lean (107+/-14 mmHg; P<0.001) patients, whereas systolic BP determined at the wrist averaged 106 mmHg in both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of validated wrist BP measuring devices appears therefore particularly appealing in obese individuals with a large arm circumference.
de Senarclens
Olivier
O
Division of Clinical Pathophysiology, University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Feihl
François
F
Giusti
Vittorio
V
Engelberger
Rolf P
RP
Rodieux
Frédérique
F
Gomez
Patrick
P
Liaudet
Lucas
L
Waeber
Bernard
B
D000328:Adult; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity; D019722:Sphygmomanometers; D014953:Wrist