# Blood pressure cuff size **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 13, 2007, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-cuff-size/395807 "2007-03-13T22:32:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-cuff-size/395807/1 "2007-03-13T22:32:56Z")
I am a big man with big arms. I’m both overweight \*and \*have big muscular arms. If you take my BP with a regular cuff it is very high. If you take it with the next bigger sized cuff it is boarder-line normal. I almost \*always \*have to remind the staff to get a big cuff. Most ignore me until they try it the first time and the cuff almost pops off my arm. Is there no standard for this? Is there no way that I can say: my arms are X, get a bigger cuff? If there is no standard, then how do we tell \*which \*cuff is giving the correct reading? If there \*is \*a standard, why is there always a discussion? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-cuff-size/395807/2 "2007-03-13T23:16:45Z")
The staff usually asks me do I use the larger cuff and go ahead and use it when I say yes. Sometimes they have to hunt one down, so maybe your folks are more pressed for time and try to get by on what’s handy? ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-cuff-size/395807/3 "2007-03-13T23:25:21Z")
There is a standard, the short end of the cuff is supposed to be measured against the upper arm and is supposed to encircle at least 40% of the arm IIRC. I’m not sure why it isn’t done more often or why you have to argue to get a bigger cuff, though. I would certainly use one if my client said that’s what has been used before. ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-cuff-size/395807/4 "2007-03-14T02:10:40Z")
Here’s the standard for determining blood pressure cuff size [from the Cleveland Clinic](http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/diseasemanagement/nephrology/initbp/initbp.htm) > [@](#): > > **Selecting Length** > The cuff bladder should have a length equal to at least 80% of the measuredb arm circumference. > > **Selecting Width** > The cuff bladder should have a width equal to at least 40% of the measuredb arm circumference There are standard cuff sizes, so try telling them you need the “Large Adult” cuff (I’m guessing that’s the one you need), before they start. St. Urho Paramedic ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-cuff-size/395807/5 "2007-03-14T03:25:28Z")
I have had to use the large cuff also. I’m tall and slender, but I have always worked out and my tricep tends to get big, but it’s not very obvious so the nurses always look at me funny. I originally had a doctor tell me my high reading was just due to the cuff, seemed like too easy an answer, I was worried the large one was going to give me a false low reading but he insisted it would not do that even if it wasn’t the correct cuff.