Relax...Tips for Accurate Cardiac Stress BP Measurement

When most people have their blood pressure (BP) taken, it’s typically done by a clinician in a physician’s office. A past blog post - 10 Factors That Can Affect Your BP Reading– discusses several factors which may influence your BP reading during these visits, which are usually conducted under routine or “normal” conditions. But what if you are having your BP taken under different circumstances such as during a cardiac stress test or ABPM study? Do these same factors still apply?

Well, yes and no. Accurate cuff size and placement are still critical; however, as a result of the motion and noise introduced during these tests, not all of the 10 factors still apply. For example, during a cardiac stress test, your body will be ‘stressed’ on purpose. It will be necessary for you to talk to your clinician about how you feel throughout the course of the assessment. Additionally, you will not have any support other than the bar of the treadmill or the Ergometer and there are not any significant ‘rest times’ between measurements. So, how do you collect an accurate BP in an environment such as this?

Follow these simple tips:

• Relax the arm on which the BP cuff has been placed
• Do not grip the bar of the treadmill or Ergometer
• Stand up straight – no leaning on the rail
• Follow instructions carefully for when cuff inflates

To request a free, digital copy with a complete list of tips, simply click the button below to get one today! (Available in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Czech, Polish, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese, Turkish, Chinese, and Japanese)