Blood pressure test

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Risks

By Mayo Clinic staff

Having a blood pressure test doesn't have any risks to your health. The squeezing of an inflated blood pressure cuff on your arm may be uncomfortable, but it should last only a few seconds.

Occasionally a few tiny red spots (petechia) appear after the test just below the location of the cuff, especially if you are taking anti-platelet drugs.

How you prepare Why it's done
References
  1. Kaplan NM, et al. Overview of hypertension in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/ index. Accessed April 10, 2012.
  2. How high blood pressure is diagnosed. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/SymptomsDiagnosisMonitoringofHighBloodPressure/How-High-Blood-Pressure-isDiagnosed_UCM_301873_Article.jsp#.T4cd99Uktjs. Accessed April 10, 2012.
  3. Ogedegbe G, et al. Principles and techniques of blood pressure measurement. Cardiology Clinics. 2012;20:571.
  4. Kaplan NM, et al. Diet in the treatment and prevention of hypertension. http://www.uptodate.com/ index. Accessed April 10, 2012.
  5. Low blood pressure. American Heart Institute. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/AboutHighBloodPressure/Low-Blood-Pressure_UCM_301785_Article.jsp#.T4ckctUktjs. Accessed April 10, 2012.
  6. Screening for high blood pressure. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf07/hbp/hbprs.htm. Accessed April 10, 2012.
  7. How is high blood pressure diagnosed. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hbp/diagnosis.html. Accessed April 10, 2012.
  8. Lowering your blood pressure with DASH. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf. Accessed April 10, 2012.
  9. Sheps SG (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 13, 2012.
MY01180 June 8, 2012

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