Validated blood pressure devices that take readings at a patient’s wrist are an appropriate option for patients who cannot use a traditional upper-arm cuff, Australian-led research suggests.

A systematic review and meta-analysis found no significant differences when measuring blood pressure using a standardised protocol with validated wrist or upper-arm devices compared with manual sphygmomanometry.

The study findings, which are yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, were presented as a poster at the Hypertension Australia 2024 annual scientific meeting in November.

“The take-home message is that there is no blood pressure difference between validated upper-arm and wrist cuff devices,” first author Dr Tan Bui (BMed, PhD), from the University of Tasmania’s Menzies Institute for Medical Research, told delegates.