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Ultrasound Assessment of Endothelial-Dependent Flow-Mediated Vasodilation of the Brachial Artery in Clinical Research
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[Measuring the blood pressure in both arms is subject to discussion]

P W de Leeuw1

  • 1Academisch Ziekenhuis Maastricht, afd. Interne Geneeskunde, Postbus 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht. p.deleeuw@intmed.unimaas.nl

Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde
|September 4, 2007
PubMed

The recommendation to measure, at least once, the blood pressure in both arms is not without dispute. Several observations argue against such a recommendation. These include left-to-right asymmetry in cases of vascular rigidity and atherosclerotic lesions in both arms, and the variability of blood pressure. The latter may preclude any meaningful comparison between measurements taken in the left and right arm if these measurements are not obtained simultaneously.

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