6.7 percent of American adults cannot use automatic blood pressure monitors because of their arm size

An estimated 6.7 percent of American adults cannot use popular automatic blood pressure monitors because of their arm circumference, according to a research letter published online Sept. 5. Hypertension in connection with the American Heart Association Hypertension 2024 Scientific Sessions, which took place from September 5 to 8 in Chicago.

Eileen Kaur of Howard High School in Ellicott City, Maryland, and her colleagues evaluated cuff sizes on 10 popular blood pressure monitors from Amazon’s automated blood pressure monitor category and determined arm circumference ranges among 13,826 adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2015–2020).

The researchers found that of the 10 devices evaluated, nine offered cuff sizes that covered arm circumferences from 22 to 42 cm, and one offered sizes from 22 to 40 cm. An estimated 6.7 percent of U.S. adults (equivalent to 17.3 million adults) were unable to use these devices “as is” because of arm circumference <22 cm (0,3 procent (0,8 miliona), w tym 32,3 procent z nadciśnieniem) lub >42 cm (6.4 percent (16.5 million), including 67.3 percent with hypertension). Black adults (11.8 percent) had a higher percentage of those not covered by these devices than other racial/ethnic groups (6.6 percent, 5.2 percent, and 1.8 percent for white, Hispanic, and Asian adults, respectively). Similar percentages of women (6.9 percent) and men (6.6 percent) were not eligible for these devices.

“To increase equity, manufacturers should prioritize the development and affordable sale of blood pressure devices that accommodate arm circumferences greater than 42 centimeters, and health care providers should measure patients’ arm circumferences to help them select the appropriate cuff size when purchasing a home blood pressure device,” senior author Kunihiro Matsushita, MD, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, said in a statement.

One of the authors revealed ties to Fukuda Denshi.

More information:
Eileen Kaur et al., Coverage of Popular Over-the-Counter Blood Pressure Devices and Implications for US Adults, Hypertension (2024). DOI: 10.1161/NADPRESSNIENIEAHA.124.23473

More information

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