Changes in blood pressure in the sitting and standing positions in hypertensive patients

Ersoy S, Pinar R, Ersoy IH. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2011; 17 : 105–109 Changes in blood pressure in the sitting and standing positions in hypertensive patients Most guidelines for management of hypertension do not give special preference to a specific position of patient during blood pressure (BP) measurement, suggesting that BP readings taken with patients sitting, supine and standing are equivalent. The objective of this study was to examine whether there was any difference between BP readings with hypertensive participants comfortably sitting on chair and those with participants standing with the arm supported horizontally at the right atrial level. BP was measured twice each for 168 hypertensive patients (medicated and unmedicated) at sitting, standing and sitting positions, respectively, with a mercury‐filled column sphygmomanometer. We found significantly lower in systolic and diastolic BP readings in standing position than in sitting position. The present study indicates that the BP readings are related to the posture; thus, BP measured in different positions cannot automatically be regarded as equivalent.