Q. I take four blood pressure readings. Sometimes the second reading is 10 to 15 points below the first reading. The third and fourth readings are lower still. What is my blood pressure? Is it the first reading or an average of all four readings?
A
It’s definitely not just the first reading. Proper blood pressure measurement includes taking readings at least in duplicate or triplicate and 30 to 60 seconds apart. Some physicians would average all readings. Some would use the average of the last two (if doing three) or three (if doing four). Why don’t you ask your physician what he or she prefers and stick with this recommendation going forward? Consistency will make it easy to track your blood pressure over time.
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