A self-described medical assistant instructor has gone viral on TikTok after claiming the “majority” of doctor’s offices are taking your blood pressure wrong. In the TikTok, which amassed 387,200 views as of this writing, user @favorite_ma_instructor detailed five rules for checking blood pressure that she says doctor’s offices aren’t following.
“In order to accurately take a patient’s blood pressure, they need to be sitting, resting for at least five minutes—which means, if you were sitting in the waiting room for however long, and then you get up, and you walk from the waiting room to the back, and then you sit in a chair, you are no longer sitting for five minutes,” she said.
She then said patients should have their feet flat on the floor. She also claimed the reading must be taken at least 30 minutes after a patient’s last meal.
Fourthly, she added, “Your patient is supposed to be sitting with their back rested against something. So, if your patient is sitting on one of our beds and they’re sitting up … their back isn’t really being supported, so it’s an inaccurate reading.”
Her fifth and final claim was, “A lot of people have high blood pressure just walking into a provider’s office due to white coat syndrome. This does not mean that this patient has high blood pressure. It just means that something surrounding them, something that’s happening, has instilled a little bit of fear or anxiety, and during that moment, it causes a spike in their blood pressure.”
@favorite_ma_instructor Now there are several other factors that are involved when it comes to obtaining an accurate blood pressure such as the size of the cuff that is being used. #b#bloodpressureb#bloodpressurecheckm#medicalassistantm#medicalassistantlifem#medicalassistantsoftiktokm#medicalassistantstudent ♬ original sound – Medical Assistant Instructor
Are these claims true?
According to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), “white coat syndrome” is a real issue that affects blood pressure readings in doctor’s offices. The NHS website also verifies the five-minute rule, adding that “this period of rest allows the body to relax and stabilize, ensuring a more accurate portrayal of the individual’s blood pressure.”
Furthermore, the American Heart Association notes that “dangling feet” and an “unsupported back” can “throw off a blood pressure reading and classify a patient as having high blood pressure when they don’t.”
As for eating beforehand, Healthline confirms people should wait at least 30 minutes after eating before measuring their blood pressure. It states this is because the digestion process can temporarily lower blood pressure.
Commenters share white coat syndrome stories
In the TikTok comments, viewers shared their own experiences with white coat syndrome and inaccurate blood pressure readings. “I have white coat syndrome BAD and my BP is always at like stroke levels every time I go to the doctor,” one claimed. “My at-home readings are always very normal.”
Another shared, “The amount of times I had mine measured incorrectly is insane. They aren’t even lining up the cuff correctly.”
“I told my doctors office this and they wrote ‘patient blames office for her high BP’ in my chart,” a third said.
The TikToker didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via TikTok comment.
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