Study: Blood pressure often differs widely between two arms
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Blood pressure readings between the two arms can be different, and that disparity can sometimes be a warning sign of heart trouble down the road.
That's the finding of an analysis of 24 past studies: When people have at least a 5-point difference in blood pressure between the two arms, their risk of heart attack, stroke or premature death inches up. And the greater the difference, the more those risks climb.
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Experts said the findings give more support to something that's been advocated, but not commonly done by doctors and nurses: Checking patients' blood pressure in both arms.