THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT BODY POSITIONS AND SPEECH ON BLOOD PRESSURE IN HYPERTENSION PATIENTS

Abstract

Objective: To determine the effect of different body positions and speech onblood pressure (BP) in patients with hypertension.

Methodology: This cross sectional study was performed from February 2011 toJune 2011. Ten percent of the total annual number of patients who receivedtreatment for hypertension either at the hypertension polyclinic or on inpatientbasis at the cardiology clinic were included. Patients previously diagnosed withhypertension (BP>140-90 mmHg), aged 18 years and above were included.The data was collected by a questionnaire and blood pressure measurementswere documented. Aneroid sphygmomanometer was used for BP pressuremeasurements. Measurements were made in a certain order, i.e. while thepatients were sitting, speaking, in supine position and in supine position with thefeet crossed at the ankles. The measurements were taken from the right and leftarms, three minutes apart. The data were evaluated using percentage, frequencyand One-way Anova test. Statistical significance was set at p<.05.

Result: Total of 162 patients were included. No differences were seen betweenthe BP measurements taken from the right and left arms in the different positions(p> .05). For the BP measurements performed in the right arm, diastolic bloodpressure (DBP) was the lowest in the supine position (72.8±12) and highestwhile speaking (77.1±13.3) (p=.003). For the BP measurements performed inthe left arm, DBP was the lowest in the supine position (72.7±11) and highest inthe sitting position (76±12.3) (p=.021).

Conclusion: Systolic blood pressure (SBP) did not differ much with bodyposition. On the other hand, DBP was higher while speaking when BP wasmeasured in the right arm, whereas DBP was higher in the sitting position whenBP was measured in the left arm.