Most of us are familiar with the routine blood pressure check at the doctor’s office—a cuff wrapped around your arm, inflated until it feels tight, then slowly released while the doctor listens with a stethoscope.
This method has been used for decades and is trusted around the world. But new research suggests that this traditional technique might not always give an accurate reading, especially for people whose blood pressure falls in the middle range.
Researchers wanted to find out how well the cuff method compares to a more accurate but less commonly used technique. This other method, called invasive blood pressure measurement, involves inserting a thin tube directly into a blood vessel to measure the pressure from inside the body.
It’s usually only done in hospitals during serious procedures, but it gives a much clearer picture of what’s really going on inside the arteries.
To find out how well the cuff method works, scientists looked at data from over 2,500 people, with studies going all the way back to the 1950s. They compared cuff readings to the invasive method and found some surprising differences. It turns out that the cuff may not always measure the pressure where it matters most—near the heart, in the large artery called the aorta.
This is important because the aorta delivers blood directly to vital organs like the brain and heart. If the pressure in your arm is very different from the pressure in your aorta, a doctor could get the wrong impression of your overall heart health.
In some cases, the difference between these two measurements was as high as 25 mmHg, which could mean the difference between being diagnosed with high blood pressure or not.
So when does the cuff method work best? The study found that it’s quite accurate at the extremes. For people with very low blood pressure (below 120/80 mmHg) or very high blood pressure (160/100 mmHg or more), the readings matched closely with the invasive measurements.
But for those in the middle range—systolic numbers between 120 and 159, and diastolic numbers between 80 and 99—the cuff method was only accurate about half the time.
This is a big deal, since many people fall into that middle range. It means that some people might be told their blood pressure is fine when it’s actually too high—or the other way around. Both situations can lead to poor health outcomes, whether it’s missing needed treatment or being put on unnecessary medication.
Despite these concerns, doctors agree that treating high blood pressure based on cuff readings still saves lives. Medication to lower blood pressure has been proven to reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, and other serious problems. The cuff method remains a helpful tool, but this research shows that it might not be perfect for everyone.
The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, is part of a larger push to find better ways to measure and manage blood pressure. As scientists continue to explore new techniques, including digital and wearable devices, the hope is that we’ll one day have tools that offer more accurate and personal readings for everyone.
In the meantime, it’s important to keep track of your blood pressure, especially if you have risk factors like age, family history, or other health conditions.
Talk to your doctor about any concerns, and keep focusing on healthy habits—like regular exercise, eating a balanced diet, cutting down on salt, and finding ways to manage stress. Some people also explore options like intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating to support heart health.
This new research is a reminder that even long-standing medical tools can be improved. With better accuracy in measuring blood pressure, we can make smarter decisions about care—and help more people live longer, healthier lives.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies about added sugar in your diet linked to higher blood pressure, and results showing plant-based foods could benefit people with high blood pressure.
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