The next time you’re in for a regular medical check-up, it may be an excellent idea to request a blood pressure check in both arms instead of just one.
A recent peripheral arterial disease screening study conducted by researchers at the University of Exeter in the U.K. indicates that doing so may help to detect an otherwise-silent condition known as peripheral artery disease (PAD).
Peripheral arterial disease is defined as a condition where plaque builds up in the arteries that carry blood to the head, organs, and limbs. Peripheral arterial disease typically affects the arteries in the legs, however, it also can affect the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the kidneys, stomach, head, and arms as well.
Individuals who suffer from peripheral arterial disease commonly display symptoms that include painful cramping in the hip, thigh or calf muscles after performing an activity, such as walking or climbing stairs, numbness or weakness in the legs, coldness in the lower legs or feet, especially when one leg is compared to the other, and a change in the color and tone of the skin of the leg that is affected when compared to the other, to name a few.
Detecting a Difference in Systolic Blood Pressure
During the study, the researchers discovered that subjects with a different systolic blood pressure reading in each arm were more likely to have peripheral artery disease. In fact, when this difference exceeded 15 mm Hg, the risk of the subject having PAD was 2.5 times that of a person with a smaller arm-to-arm difference in systolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure is represented by the first number read in a blood pressure measurement.
The researchers said that it makes no difference whether the higher systolic blood pressure reading is found in the left or right arm during a peripheral arterial disease screening, and that the only important measurement is the difference between the two.
60% Increased Risk of Death
According to the researchers, double-arm blood pressure checks are important for additional reasons beyond the early detection of PAD, which is far more deadly when it’s detected later on. When a person has a blood pressure differential of 15 mm Hg or greater, they’re also 60% more likely to die from any cause than a person with a smaller blood pressure differential. Equally alarming is the fact that they’re also 70% more likely to die from heart disease.
The Nature of the Study
The study conducted by the University of Exeter relied on a diverse array of existing studies to generate its conclusions. A total of 28 studies, all of which involved double-arm blood pressure tests, were reviewed. In most of the studies, the subject pools largely consisted of individuals who were at an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. Future studies on the matter will likely include healthier subjects.
Medical Experts Weigh In
Dr. Christopher Clark, one of the lead researchers behind the study and a professor at the University of Exeter’s Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, said that he hopes the findings of the study will spur a shift in the medical field toward taking blood pressure measurements from both arms rather than just one as standard practice. This way, individuals with no outward symptoms of PAD could benefit from early detection, which would allow for additional assessment and earlier treatment.
Jonathan Mant (University of Cambridge) and Richard McManus (University of Oxford) agreed with Clark’s position, saying that double-arm blood pressure tests “should become part of routine care.” As of now, double-arm blood pressure tests are indeed recommended, but typically “ignored” by doctors and nurses, according to Mant and McManus.
Mant and McManus also said that additional research should reveal whether large differentials in arm-to-arm blood pressure call for more “aggressive management” of various cardiovascular risk factors, such as high cholesterol, irregular blood sugar, lack of physical exercise and poor dietary choices.
Peripheral Artery Disease: The Bottom Line
A recent U.K. study indicates that checking blood pressure in both arms instead of just one could assist in detecting peripheral artery disease, or PAD, a cardiovascular condition that has no other outward symptoms early in its development. Individuals with a systolic blood pressure difference of 15 mm Hg or greater between each arm are 2.5 times more likely to have PAD, 70% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease, and 60% more likely to die from any cause.
The full text of the study can be found in the current issue of the medical journal the Lancet.
