A new study has revealed that the most commonly used way to measure blood pressure may not always give accurate results, especially for people whose readings fall in the middle range. This means many individuals at risk of heart disease could be going undiagnosed and missing out on treatments that could save their lives.
The standard method, known as the “cuff method,” involves wrapping an inflatable cuff around the upper arm. The cuff squeezes tightly to temporarily stop blood flow, and then blood pressure is measured as the cuff deflates.
This method is simple, fast, and widely used in clinics around the world. However, researchers have now found that it might not be reliable for a large group of people.
Scientists looked at more than 2,500 cases from studies dating back to the 1950s. They compared cuff blood pressure readings to those obtained from a more accurate technique called “invasive blood pressure.”
This gold-standard method involves placing a thin tube directly into an artery to get a real-time, direct measurement of blood pressure. It’s not practical for everyday use, but it provides the most precise readings.
One of the biggest concerns raised by the study is that cuff blood pressure may not always reflect the pressure in the body’s central artery, the aorta, which is close to the heart. This is important because the aorta delivers blood directly to the brain and heart.
The pressure here is a better indicator of overall cardiovascular risk. In some cases, the pressure measured in the arm can be up to 25 mmHg different from the pressure in the aorta. That kind of difference can lead to very different decisions about diagnosis and treatment.
The researchers found that the cuff method worked fairly well in people with very low or very high blood pressure—readings below 120/80 mmHg or above 160/100 mmHg. For these groups, the accuracy compared to invasive readings was as high as 80%.
But for everyone else—the majority of people whose blood pressure falls between 120 and 160 systolic (the top number) and 80 to 100 diastolic (the bottom number)—the accuracy dropped sharply, to just 50% to 57%.
This matters because most adults fall into this middle range, where health risks might not be obvious but are still significant. If the cuff reading is off, a person might be told their blood pressure is fine when it’s actually too high, or vice versa. This could lead to delayed treatment or unnecessary medication.
Despite these concerns, the study’s authors emphasize that blood pressure treatment is still very effective. Decades of research show that lowering high blood pressure with medication greatly reduces the risk of strokes, heart attacks, and other serious conditions.
The cuff method remains helpful, especially when used regularly to monitor trends over time. But the researchers say there’s a clear need for better tools to measure blood pressure more accurately—especially for those in the middle ranges where uncertainty is highest.
The study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and adds important insight into how we can improve the diagnosis and care of people with high blood pressure, one of the world’s leading causes of illness and death.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about how diets could help lower high blood pressure, and 3 grams of omega-3s a day keep high blood pressure at bay.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how tea and coffee influence your risk of high blood pressure, and results showing this olive oil could reduce blood pressure in healthy people.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
