Research Now Shows Which Blood Pressure Reading Position Is Most Predictive Of Heart Events

Supine, or lying flat, blood pressure was a more reliable predictor of heart disease than sitting.

Photographs taken by authors and reused are not permitted.

Blood pressure readings may vary depending on the patient’s position when it is taken. There are three basic positions: lying (supine), sitting, and standing. For years, it has been debated which is the most reliable and whether one is more predictive of future cardiac events. We may now have an answer.

The study found that “ Nocturnal hypertension while asleep is associated with substantial increases in risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death.” The results were independent of sitting blood pressure, the most common method measured at home or in the office.

It should be noted that the definition of elevated blood pressure was rather liberal: The cut-off was >130 systolic (top number) and >80 diastolic (bottom number). Other important points were that the over 11,000 patients studied did not have a prior history of coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure, or stroke.

The findings did show that patients who had hypertension at night also had significantly more coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and heart deaths.