←back to thread

330 points wglb | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.447s | source
Show context
crazygringo ◴[] No.41841006[source]
There's definitely a huge variance in blood pressure readings depending on posture, relaxation, arm position, recent activity, etc. If you buy a blood pressure monitor, it's really interesting to see how "random" a single reading at the doctors' is, and how large your fluctuation throughout the day is.

That being said, it really makes me wonder about studies that correlate blood pressure with other things. Is the blood pressure really being measured "correctly" in all those studies? Or not?

In other words, if your "true correct" blood pressure is lower than what the doctor normally takes, but then a lot of the studies are based on real-life "incorrect" higher blood pressures, then don't you similarly want an "incorrect" higher reading for consistency? Or are the studies always really done with far more accurate blood pressure readings, where the patient sits still for 5 min beforehand, keeps their legs uncrossed, is totally free of stress and anxiety, didn't exercise beforehand, etc.?

replies(18): >>41841065 #>>41841066 #>>41841097 #>>41841378 #>>41841596 #>>41842242 #>>41842355 #>>41842512 #>>41842978 #>>41842987 #>>41843132 #>>41843291 #>>41843843 #>>41843882 #>>41844009 #>>41844704 #>>41845158 #>>41848507 #
1. haldujai ◴[] No.41843882[source]
> Is the blood pressure really being measured "correctly" in all those studies? Or not?

Probably incorrect in most studies, especially large population ones that influence treatment guidelines.

It’s academic and doesn’t practically matter though.

The pathogenesis of hypertension related disorders (kidney failure, heart failure, stroke etc) is well known.

It’s not in doubt that sustained hypertension is bad, that there is increased risk with higher blood pressure and that patients with high blood pressure undergoing treatment suffer less of these bad outcomes.