Checking Blood Pressure on Both Arms Can Detect Silent Killer - East Idaho News

Checking Blood Pressure on Both Arms Can Detect Silent Killer

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GETTY H 111710 BloodPressure?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1327941438450Darrin Klimek/Digital Vision/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — When you get your blood pressure checked at the doctor’s office, the usual protocol is to take the reading from one arm.  But now, research suggests that checking both arms instead could help save you from a silent killer.

A new study published in the journal Lancet finds that if between both arms there’s a difference of more than 15 points in the top (systolic) number, a patient could have vascular disease.

Dr. Oscar Garfein, a cardiologist and advocate of taking blood pressure from both arms, said taking the extra step saved the life of one of his patients.

“I found that it one arm it was very, very low and the other one it was normal and it helped me arrive at a diagnosis of a potentially lethal condition,” he said.

“All it takes is about one minute and you can find something that really most of the time points to the fact this patient has established vascular disease,” Garfein added.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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