Question

why is blood pressure measured with cuff at heart level?

Answer 1

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Answer 2

When the blood pressure (BP) is measured, the arm should be at the level of the heart. In other words, in the sitting and standing positions, the arm should be extended out straight and should be about 2-3 inches below the shoulder to approximate the level of the heart. If the arm is allowed to hang down straight, the BP may be falsely diminished by as much as 12 mm Hg. below its true value. This is not an issue when the person is lying down, as long as the arm is kept along side at the level of the body.

Answer 3

consider a continuous column of blood from heart, to arch of aorta till the branchial artery (where the BP is measured) this path of the blood can be equaled to an arch standing upright something like ^ this. Now to neutralise the effect of gravity on the blood column, both arms of that arch need to be of equal height. Thats why the cuff needs to be tied at the level of the heart so that that arch is a perfect inverted U.