Validity of arm ergometer blood pressures immediately after exercise

Abstract

It is not possible to assess blood pressure (BP) by the standard cuff method during exercise primarily involving the arms. Consequently, such measurements are often taken immediately after (within 15 seconds) exercise. To assess the validity of this practice, 18 healthy men (mean age 32 years) who completed 3 progressive 3-minute workloads were studied during arm-crank ergometry. Ankle systolic BP was measured at the dorsalis pedis artery at seated rest, 15 seconds before completion of each exercise stage and immediately after each workload, using a Doppler stethoscope; simultaneous postexercise brachial systolic BPs were determined by auscultation. Brachial systolic BP during armcrank ergometry was estimated by the formula: (resting brachial systolic BP) + (exercise ankle systolic BP - resting ankle systolic BP). Brachial systolic BPs, obtained immediately after arm-crank ergometry, were significantly lower than those estimated during exercise (p <0.001), with corresponding mean values of 141 versus 1S3, 144 versus 173 and 151 versus 182 mm Hg at 150, 300, and 450 kg · m · min −1, respectively. The difference between measured (postexercise) and estimated pressures increased with progressive workloads. These findings indicate that systolic BPs taken by the standard cuff method immediately after armcrank ergometry are likely to underestimate “true” physiologic responses.