title: Inter-arm blood pressure differences in young, healthy patients.
abstract: The prevalence and magnitude of inter-arm BP difference (IAD) in young healthy patients is not well characterized. Flight academy applicants and designated aviators undergo annual evaluation that includes blood pressure (BP) measurement on both arms. All BP measurements performed from January 1, 2012, to April 30, 2012, were recorded and IAD was calculated. Results were compared between patients in whom BP was initially measured in the right arm (group 1), those in whom BP was initially measured in the left arm (group 2), and those in whom the arm in which BP was initially measured was not recorded (group 3). A total of 877 healthy patients had BP measured during the study period. In the entire group, mean systolic BP was the same in both arms. Absolute IAD was 5.6±5.5 mm Hg for systolic and 4.7±4.5 mm Hg for diastolic BP. IAD >10 mm Hg was recorded in 111 (12.6%) and 77 (8.8%) patients for systolic and diastolic BP, respectively. IAD was the same in the 3 groups and was unrelated to age, body mass index, and heart rate, but was related to systolic BP. IAD is common in young healthy patients, is not dependent on which arm was measured first, and unrelated to age, body mass index, and heart rate.
authors.affiliation: Israeli Air Force Aero Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel. alon2206@012.net.il
authors.forename: Alon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grossman
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prokupetz
authors.forename: Barak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: Nira
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morag-Koren
authors.forename: Ehud
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grossman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm / Q000098:blood supply*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D014690:Venous Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
references.citation: Acta Med Scand Suppl. 1982;670:69-73
references.pmid: 6964488
references.citation: Fam Pract. 2007 Oct;24(5):420-6
references.pmid: 17670807
references.citation: Postgrad Med J. 1993 Mar;69(809):194-6
references.pmid: 8497433
references.citation: Arch Intern Med. 2007 Feb 26;167(4):388-93
references.pmid: 17325301
references.citation: J Hypertens. 2005 Jun;23(6):1141-7
references.pmid: 15894889
references.citation: Hypertension. 2008 Mar;51(3):657-62
references.pmid: 18212263
references.citation: Circulation. 1960 Sep;22:419-36
references.pmid: 13711816
references.citation: Am J Hypertens. 2011 Nov;24(11):1201-8
references.pmid: 21776035
references.citation: Lancet. 2012 Mar 10;379(9819):905-914
references.pmid: 22293369
references.citation: BMJ. 2012 Mar 20;344:e1327
references.pmid: 22433975
references.citation: J Hum Hypertens. 2001 Aug;15(8):519-22
references.pmid: 11494088
references.citation: BJOG. 2008 Aug;115(9):1122-30
references.pmid: 18715433
references.citation: J Hypertens. 2002 Jun;20(6):1089-95
references.pmid: 12023677
references.citation: Age Ageing. 1999 Oct;28(6):537-42
references.pmid: 10604505
references.citation: Hypertension. 1987 Feb;9(2):209-15
references.pmid: 3818018
references.citation: Br J Gen Pract. 2009 Jun;59(563):428-32
references.pmid: 19520026
references.citation: Eur Heart J. 2007 Jun;28(12):1462-536
references.pmid: 17562668
references.citation: PLoS One. 2012;7(8):e41173
references.pmid: 22927905
references.citation: J Hum Hypertens. 2006 Dec;20(12):923-31
references.pmid: 17036043