Cuff size matters if you want accurate BP readings, study confirms
Both 'undercuffing' and 'overcuffing' can result in inaccurate measurements, say US researchers.
It may not come as a surprise to everyone, but cuff size does matter when using automated blood pressure monitors, especially in patients requiring larger cuffs.
US researchers have confirmed that using a regular blood pressure device cuff instead switching to an appropriately sized smaller or larger cuff leads to “strikingly inaccurate” readings.
“This is particularly concerning for settings where one regular blood pressure cuff size is routinely used in all individuals,” the John Hopkins University–led team wrote in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Their randomised trial included 195 community-dwelling adults (mean age 54) with a range of mid-arm circumferences; each participant’s blood pressure was measured using four different cuff sizes.
