Measuring blood pressure is one of the most basic and important ways to keep track of a person’s health.
It helps doctors diagnose and manage conditions like heart disease, stroke, and kidney problems. But not everyone can have their blood pressure taken the usual way—from the upper arm.
People who have lost an arm, suffered a stroke, or live with disabilities may not be able to use traditional arm cuffs. Until now, ankle readings have been the backup method, but they often give results that are too high and not always accurate.
Now, a team of researchers from the University of Exeter Medical School has created a new way to make ankle blood pressure readings more accurate. Their findings were published in BMJ Open and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
By studying data from over 33,000 people, they developed a personalized tool that can better predict what a person’s arm blood pressure would be—based on their ankle reading. This could lead to more accurate diagnoses and treatment decisions.
To make this tool easy to use, the team also launched an online calculator called the ABLE-BP Tool. This tool helps both doctors and patients better understand what an ankle blood pressure reading really means. It’s a small change with big impact.
Professor Chris Clark, who led the study, said that while the new method may only improve accuracy for about 2% more people, the numbers add up fast.
In England alone, the NHS Health Check Programme diagnoses nearly 40,000 new cases of high blood pressure each year. Improving accuracy by just 2% could prevent 750 misdiagnoses annually in England, and many thousands more across the world.
The study included more than 33,000 participants from various countries. On average, they were 58 years old, and 45% were women. Using this data, researchers studied the relationship between arm and ankle blood pressures.
They created a formula that allows them to estimate arm readings from ankle measurements more precisely than older methods. They also looked at how these readings are linked to serious health risks like heart attacks.
For people who have been left out of regular blood pressure checks—like stroke survivors or those with limb differences—this research offers real hope. In the UK alone, about 10,000 people live with upper limb loss, and 75% of the 1.3 million stroke survivors experience arm problems that can make traditional readings difficult or impossible.
Juliet Bouverie, CEO of the Stroke Association, pointed out that blood pressure causes about half of all strokes. Many stroke survivors leave the hospital with arm paralysis, making it hard to track blood pressure the usual way. An accurate ankle reading could help prevent a second stroke and ease the minds of people who are already worried about their health.
One person who understands this struggle is TV presenter Sue Kent. Born with shortened arms due to the drug Thalidomide, Sue could never get her blood pressure taken in the normal way. For years, she relied on guesses or thigh cuffs that may not have been accurate.
After a cataract operation where ankle readings showed high blood pressure, she became concerned about her risk of stroke. She later paid for private tests just to get peace of mind.
Sue believes this new method could be life-changing. “Why should I not be able to have my blood pressure taken when it’s so simple for most people?” she said. “This new tool could finally give disabled people equal access to an important part of medical care.”
In the long run, this advancement could help thousands of people get better care, avoid misdiagnoses, and feel more confident about their health. Sometimes, even a small tool can make a big difference.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about why checking blood pressure while lying down is very important and lowering top blood pressure number to less than 120 mm Hg effectively prevents heart disease.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies that turmeric and vitamin D may boost blood pressure control in type 2 diabetes and scientists find link between blood pressure drugs and bowel diseases.
The study is published in BMJ Open.
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