Blood pressure measurement: differences between arm side, sitting and supine position and between consecutive measurements

Background: High blood pressure (BP) is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, BP measurement conditions in epidemiological studies vary, leading to different estimates of hypertension frequencies. The aim of the study was to evaluate the dependence of BP estimates on different measurement conditions. Methods: This analysis uses data of 1778 participants (45–83 years) of the baseline investigation of the CARLA study. BP measurements using oscillometric devices included three sitting measurements at the left arm, one simultaneous supine measurement at both arms, and three supine measureme…