what arm for blood pressure

The best position to take your blood pressure is seated in a chair with your feet on the floor and your arm supported so your elbow is at about heart level. Its a good idea to have your blood pressure measured in both arms at least once, since the reading in one arm (usually the right) may be higher than that in the left. In general, the arm-to-arm difference in systolic blood pressure is 5 points or less. If the difference is consistently greater than 10 points between the two arms, let your doctor know. For people whose blood pressure is being monitored at home with an ambulatory device, the monitor should be attached to the arm with the highest reading.